NHS boss hasn't ruled out a merger of Southend and Basildon hospitals

In its latest progress report on its plans, the organisation calls for greater collaboration between hospitals, where the sharing of medical and administrative staff is implemented.

It is hoped to pave the way for a merger of services which could ultimately see Southend, Basildon and mid Essex Hospital trusts operating under one administrative team.

This could lead to specific services, such as cancer treatment or stroke teams, concentrated in one or other of the three centres.

Asked if there could be a merger of hospitals, Andrew Pike, Essex area director of NHS England, said: “The three hospitals in the success regime are looking at the extent to which closer working can bring benefits to patients.There are no firm plans as yet."

Despite it’s name, the Essex Success Regime plans currently only cover south Essex.

The regime, being piloted in three areas of the country where there are significant difficulties and financial problems, includes Southend, Basildon and mid-Essex hospitals while excluding west and north Essex, including the troubled Colchester and Harlow Hospitals.

NHS England says south Essex is a “manageable sized area” in which to deliver the wide-ranging changes it hopes will solve current problems, but it will turn its attention to north and mid Essex in the future.

Plans are already underway to provide a urology cancer care centre in one Essex-wide unit, with competition between Southend and Colchester hospitals to run the centre.

Explaining why the initial focus has been on south Essex, Mr Pike said: "Following the initial review in October last year, it was recommended that a collaboration between mid and south Essex would be more manageable, and yet large enough to make service improvements through joint working. Mid and south Essex is still a large area covering a population of over a million.

“There is a separate improvement process for north east Essex, with national support, and a separate strategic programme already underway in west Essex.”

Dr Velmurugan believes NHS England plans will fail

AN outspoken GP says any merger between Southend and Basildon hospitals will result in misery for patients.

Westcliff GP Dr Marimuthu Velmurugan said: “A merger will lead to a reduction in capacity, a reduction in the service and misery to the people.

“I am not a stooge of the CCGS or the NHS I am honest, say what I think and I have no vested interest. They merged Rochford Hospital and Southend Hospital under one administration and look how that’s turned out! “ Dr Velmurugan added: “I will never change my opinion on this, but what I would like to see is a merger of the five CCGs we have now under one chief executive and with fewer management people.

“That would be a great improvement.”

James Moyies, Southend councillor responsible for health and adult social care, has welcomed the plans.

He said: “I think they make a lot of sense. There is a lot of stress in the system. The three hospitals in Essex Success Regime area are £200million in the red.

“Hospitals can work together to be more efficient with direction from above for certain specialist services. Some specialist services work better in an area with a one million population. Specialist surgeons operate more regularly and become more skilled with better outcomes for patients.

He accepted the obvious downside is people will have to travel further, but added: “If you have a heart attack in Southend the chances are you will be taken to Basildon Hospital cardiac care unit so it’s nothing new.

“Hospitals are all facing challenges, particularly with staffing, but they all have different systems.

“Broadly I am in favour and unless someone can find £200million it is the way forward. There will be more local services leading to better outcomes for people.”

Southend and Basildon Hospital chief executives have realeased a joint statement where they welcome an ever closer working relationship.

Asked to comment on Mr Pike’s views on any possible merger, Sue Hardy, chief executive at Southend Hospital and Clare Panniker, chief executive of Basildon and Thurrock Hospital, said: “The success regime is an opportunity to build upon work the three trusts have already begun – identifying opportunities to work together to improve the quality of services for local people and making the best use of our resources.

“We already have some great examples of where we have come together to develop services for our wider population - such as the cardiothoracic centre in Basildon, cancer and radiotherapy services in Southend and burns and plastics care in Broomfield.”

They added: “The success regime will build on this by working closely with the organisations which commission NHS services, local authorities, community providers and mental health trusts to identify other areas where functions and resources – clinical and non-clinical – can be shared.

“We need to ensure patients in this part of Essex experience joined up, seamless care, whether they go to their GP, visit A&E, access community services, or receive care at home.”

Ms Hardy and Ms Panniker said the plans to share services were a long-term project, but one which is already well underway.

They said: “Our clinical teams are already working together and starting to look at new ways of sharing services, which could change the way patients access healthcare.

“This is at least a three year project and any changes or ideas suggested as part of the Success Regime will need to be discussed with our local communities.

“We want the Success Regime to be a real platform for change delivering better outcomes and securing a sustainable NHS for future generations.”