Over £200,000 spent on NHS consultation with 'utterly inadequate' plans for Maldon
Maldon Nub News can reveal that the consultation into community hospital provision in Essex cost the NHS over £200,000 in staffing, printing and more.
The consultation, which has since been branded "utterly inadequate," began in early 2024 and lasted nearly three months.
It sought feedback on proposals by NHS Mid and South Essex to reconfigure stroke rehabilitation and maternity beds across Essex. The plans also detailed closing Maldon's historic community hospital, St Peter's, and dispersing outpatient services across the town.
Following a Freedom of Information request, Maldon Nub News found that a total of £201,428 was spent during the original consultation project.
More than £91,000 alone was spent on consulting services, document design and printing, with another nearly £90,000 spent on staffing. There were also costs accrued from venue hire, legal fees, promotion and media engagement.
Maldon MP, Sir John Whittingdale has since criticised the consultation, calling it "deeply flawed."
"To spend a huge amount of money consulting on something which was based on inadequate information is a waste," he commented.
"They were pursuing something which, in my view, should never have been proposed in the first place."
He added that the consultation's most attended public meeting, with more than 500 attendees, was neither organised nor paid for by the trust, with the expense being written off as parliamentary.
"I very much hope that the whole thing will be withdrawn and they will instead rest on the recommendations of the working group," he said.
A working group was launched in September 2024 after the Integrated Care Board announced a six-month delay in final decision-making on the reconfiguration. Representatives from the NHS, local authorities, community organisations, and key stakeholders were invited to take part.
Jo Phillips is the Campaign Manager of Save Maldon Medical Services, a group set up to defend healthcare in the town.
Throughout the consultation period, the group staged online campaigns, protested in the streets, and even went topless to share their cause of keeping medical services in the town. In response, three representatives, including Jo, were asked to sit on the group.
Finding out the total cost of the original consultation, a typically outspoken Jo was torn.
"It's really important that we don't get into a situation of finger-pointing and blame," she said.
"I think from a campaign point of view, it should never have reached the point where so much money needed to be spent."
As part of the recent recommendations, the working group asked the ICB to establish a standing Community Committee, who will provide oversight on any decisions made regarding the St Peter's estate. This group is set to be chaired by Jo.
"I am looking forward to what in effect is a new way of working with regards to the ICB and NHS," Jo added.
"I think we all feel that sense of responsibility to make sure that it is successful and that we work together. It's disappointing that it's taken this, but if it takes a community group to bring people together and kick-start stagnation, then that's great.
"We will ensure that no individual pet-project or agenda will risk the outcome for Maldon residents."
The new recommendations suggest keeping St Peter's Hospital operational for five years while a plan is secured for a new outpatient care facility on the same site. However after consulting the figures, the group accepted that the birthing unit and stroke rehabilitation beds may be more effectively used elsewhere in Essex.
The group's report will soon be integrated into a comprehensive Decision-Making Business Case, which will then be considered by ICB during the Summer, before a decision is made.
In addition to the total cost of the most recent consultation, the NHS ICB provided Nub News with the total amount spent on working groups related to the future of Maldon Hospital Services, the majority being in relation to a new Maldon Health Hub.
A total of £30,529.42 (excluding VAT) has been identified as previous spend on Maldon Health Hub/ St Peter's Hospital related projects.
The number comes after years of broken promises by the local NHS to provide a replacement community hospital.
Over 23-years ago it was reported that the St Peter's Hospital site was "ageing," a statement repeated in the most recent consultation.
For more than 14-years, the now-defunct Primary Care Trust promised a £20 million new community hospital to replace St Peter's, with several different consultations and working groups taking place during this time.
However, the ICB told us they were unable to identify any other historic spend by the NHS on related projects prior to 2016.
In response to this report, Tom Abell, Chief Executive of NHS Mid and South Essex said: "We have a duty to involve the public in planning and commissioning decisions to ensure the health services across mid and south Essex are designed to meet both current and future needs.
"We are committed to working with our communities to find solutions that are in the best interests of the people we serve.
"We will learn from this experience so we can improve in the future.
"The working group's recommendations will be carefully integrated into a comprehensive Decision-Making Business Case.
"The Board will then review and consider this during the summer, so that a final decision can be made about any service change."
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