The working group looking into the future of healthcare in Maldon and wider Essex have announced its recommendations today.

The independently chaired working group, made up of local authority representatives, Healthwatch staff, members of the Save Maldon Medical Services campaign group, and NHS staff members, was formed after significant concerns arose with the hospital consultation options proposed last year by NHS Mid and South Essex. 

The proposed options meant St Peter's Hospital in Maldon would be closed, with maternity and stroke rehabilitation beds moved elsewhere. All outpatient care hosted at the hospital would also have to be moved, with the plans for this unclear.

Following a surge of negative community feedback, the NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) decided to pause decision-making, opting instead to collaborate with local stakeholders to help inform a Decision Making Business Case. 

Now, after five months of discussions, the new report has called the original consultation "not fully thought out," adding it had been "far too hasty" in suggesting that St Peters would close with "utterly inadequate" plans as to how and where services would be managed. 

The alternative recommendations are split-up across five key areas, the St Peter's Hospital Estate, The Future Estate, IMC and Stroke Rehabilitation Beds, The Birthing Unit, and 'Making it happen.'

These recommendations are summarised below:

1. St Peter's Hospital Estate: The current Spital Road building has no long-term future given its age and degradation, with the recommendation given that the building will be decommissioned in around five years. Instead, a new modern health hub is recommended to host all outpatient and ambulatory services currently held at St Peter's. The report also details that there should be no closure of the current building or movement of services until a full funding stream and associated planning consents have been granted. 
2. The Future Estate: The funding to build a new health hub currently is set to come from the capital receipt from the disposal of the portion of the St Peter's site, therefore new revenue streams must be added. Due to the rising population, this new build should have space to grow upwards, as well as room for new GP provision. 
3. Intermediate Care and Stroke Rehabilitation Beds: The recommendation is to cease the current provision of beds within St Peter's due to unjustifiable capital costs compared to needs. Focus on a 'home first' model of supporting people, treating people where possible in their homes. 
4. The Midwife-Led Birthing Unit: All pre and post-natal care appointments must be saved in the current and rebuilt hospital. The mid-wife led birthing unit is recommended to close due to staffing issues and low birth rates. Alarm raised about the issues of midwifery quality at the main nearest hospitals, with recommendations made for formal intervention if improvements are not made within six months. 
5. Making It Happen and Moving Forward: Recommendation to establish a standing Community Committee from the Chairman of "Save Maldon Medical Services", the CEO and Leader of MDC, a representative of the health and adults team at ECC, a member of MTC, and the ICB designated leads for the estate and finance solutions to oversee, scrutinise and advise on the implementation of any recommendations that the ICB approves regarding the St Peters estate. A member of the ICB should also be tasked with leading a review as to how the system handles the policy planning and resulting consultations given the problems with community communication, data issues, unclear outcomes and unsecured pledges.

You can access the full report by the community services working group here.

Leader of Maldon District Council, Cllr Richard Siddall, said: "Maldon District Council supports the work of the St Peter's Community Consultation group and the recommendations it is putting forward to the Mid and South Essex NHS Integrated Care Board.

"After what was an unsatisfactory NHS public consultation on the future of community hospital and outpatient services in Mid and South Essex, the group have worked together since last October, to bring the focus back to what is important locally and to prioritise the needs of residents and the community.

"It is vital healthcare services remain in the district and for St Peter's hospital to continue to serve the community.

"As a member of the consultation group, the Council agrees that investment is needed for St Peter's hospital, appreciating that there are costly issues that need addressing and parts of the existing estate cannot be maintained long term.

"Therefore, we support the request to turn part of the estate into a modern health hub.

"Maldon District Council wants to see the Integrated Care Board make decisions quickly and to move on to a plan of action. However, there is some trepidation, due to the recent NHS announcement to cut the Integrated Care Board's staffing by 50%.

"There are concerns that this could potentially impact the pace of any decisions made. Whatever the challenge ahead, the Council will continue to lobby for health services to remain in the district."

The recommendations will be presented at the ICB Board Meeting in May and incorporated into a Decision Making Business Case for consideration by the NHS Mid and South Essex ICB Board this summer.