CONTROVERSIAL proposals to move stroke service will be “pretty awful” for Southend residents, a councillor has said after health bosses announced a six-month delay in making a final decision.

The NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board has completed a public consultation regarding the reconfiguration of community hospital beds, a midwife-led maternity unit and two options for stroke care and rehabilitation services.

The first option will involve a single, 50-bed stroke rehabilitation unit at Brentwood Community Hospital. The second involves a 25-bed stroke rehabilitation ward at Brentwood along with 25 intermediate care beds and a 22-bed stroke rehabilitation ward at the Cumberlege Intermediate Care Centre in Rochford.

The results of the consultation showed “widespread objections” to the changes and the ICB has now announced a six-month delay in making its final decisions.

Speaking at a meeting on Thursday, Lesley Salter, Conservative councillor for West Leigh Ward, said: “For Southend people it’s going to be pretty awful. If you are in your eighties and your other half has had a stroke and perhaps you’re in a wheelchair yourself how on earth you are going to get to Brentwood to visit I do not know.

“I don’t think either of these two options advantage Southend residents at all. Now we’ve got an extra six months I hope we can think about our residents a little bit more.”

Owen Richard (pictured inset), chief officer at Southend Healthwatch also raised concerns.

He said: “As Healthwatch we felt unable to support either option within the consultation because they both disadvantage Southend residents. We wrote to the ICB saying that. I wonder looking forward whether there’s an opportunity to have a more holistic approach towards the services.

“When we hosted consultation events I asked about community services that supported people who had had strokes and the ability to have rehab at home and was told ‘that wasn’t in scope’. If someone is doing well in rehab they might go home for the weekend and then go back and carry on with their rehabilitation and we asked if that could be put in the consultation but it was “out of scope”.

Announcing the decision delay, Tom Abell, chief executive officer at the board, said: “While much work has been done, including significant input from our local communities, it is clear to me that more time is needed to thoroughly explore and evaluate the suggestions provided by the public and stakeholders.”