THE opening of a new urgent care centre at Southend Hospital has been delayed by a further three months.

It will be built at the front of the hospital’s A&E department to filter out non-urgent patients, but is already behind schedule.

Bosses at NHS South East Essex had hoped to open the centre in April, but because of a cash shortage in the NHS and planning issues, it was pushed back to September.

Now it will not open until December 1.

A report to the board of directors said the delay was due to the hospital taking time to formally agree the centre.

Robin Brook, assistant director of secondary care performance for NHS South East Essex, said: “NHS South East Essex and Southend Hospital have been working together for some time on the feasibility of redesigning the way in which the A&E service at the hospital works.

“The development of such a project is complex and, with the best planning, there are sometimes delays which are beyond the control of the PCT or hospital, such as obtaining planning permission. This has pushed back the implementation date.”

The aim of the centre is for all patients not coming to A&E by ambulance to go to a joint waiting area and first be seen by a doctor who would assess them and send them to the most appropriate place for treatment.

This could be A&E for X-rays or urgent treatment, a GP in the centre, or a pharmacy or their own GP surgery.

Around 90,000 people go to the A&E each year. It is estimated 69,000 could be triaged in the urgent care centre, with 7,500 not needing A&E treatment. The rest are brought in by the ambulance service and need emergency treatment.

The report says there is some concern among A&E staff about space.

Mr Brook, who said staff concerns about space had been dealt with in the architect’s plans, said: “The work undertaken to date has not identified any staff are at risk.”

A planning application for the scheme is due to be submitted on June 4.