A PHENOMENAL 16,869 of you have supported our campaign to keep blood testing in south Essex.

With final petitions now in, the total number of signatures has hit almost 17,000 - more than half of our readership.

Reporter Michelle Archard handed over two huge piles of petitions to NHS South Essex bosses at its board meeting yesterday (thur).

Keep Our Blood Tests Local was launched on December 17 last year in light of a huge backlash from doctors and patients about the move of pathology services from Southend and Basildon Hospitals.

The preferred organisation to run the contract is Consolidated Pathology Services (CPS) using a hub laboratory system based around Bedford Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Herts Hospitals, and Luton & Dunstable Hospital.

Non urgent blood, stool and other specimens from south Essex could be transported to Bedford Hospital - 88 miles away - for analysis.

Online we collected 5,488 names and the e-petition is still active. In response to demand from people unable to access the internet we produced a paper petition signed by more than 11,300 people and almost two thirds of the total.

Concerns were raised about the turnaround times for results worsening from the current few hours to days and the effect that can have on patient care.

Medical professionals backed us in large numbers 120 consultants and more than 90 GPs got in touch fearing patient safety was at risk.

At the board meeting trust chief executive Andrew Pike and chairman Katherine Kirk received the petitions.

Mrs Kirk said: “I formally receive the huge pile of petitions collected by the Echo.

“There has been signs of public disquiet and anxiety without a full understanding of what the process is. Members of the public must feel assured that services will continue in a safe manner.”

Mr Pike said: “This board and the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have always been mindful of clinical concerns of GPs and consultants and we are thankful for the Echo campaign which has made us well aware of people’s concerns.

“We’ve made it clear there are a range of requirements particularly around transport, return times to clinicians and access to IT that CPS have to address and satisfy us and the CCGs on.

“Discussions exploring a range of conditions to ensure Essex is given proper coverage are ongoing. They are not to be rushed. It may appear we have been silent in public but we have to be as its commerically and logistically sensitive.”

He added that a decision may not happen until end of April or even May, and that it will be made and signed off by the four south Essex CCGs.

People are also unhappy about the involvement of private firm Serco in the contract if agreed.

Bedford laboratory is run by GSTS Pathology, made up of NHS hospital trusts and Serco a FTSE 100 listed company.

Among them Dr Norman traub, retired pathologist and founder of Southend Keep Our NHS Public, said: “Serco are going to run the thing to suit their shareholders not for the benefit of patients.”

NHS South Essex, which is dissolved on April 1 when CCGs take over running primary care and the final decision on pathology, will also send a letter regarding our petition to the team at NHS Midlands and East who chose CPS as preferred bidder.