Mid and South Essex NHS Trust (MSE) has been asked to approve a proposal to relocate hospital services to other healthcare sites from Maldon's St Peters Hospital.

The news comes as part of a 'pre-consultation business case(PCBC)' developed by a team of the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board.

The PCBC outlines relocating the midwife-led birthing unit at St Peters to St Michaels Health Centre in Braintree, relocating the ambulatory services, and gives two options for reconfiguration of intermediate and stroke rehabilitation beds.

The plan would result in the permanent closure of the 150-year-old hospital.

Protesters say that the relocation of the birthing unit would mean expectant parents would have to drive an extra 16 miles (26km) to the birthing unit in Braintree or 15 miles (24km) to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

The PCBC proposes that maternity outpatient services for Maldon, which include consultant and midwife clinics for post-natal care, parenting and ultrasound scanning, be provided locally in a maternity outpatient 'hub'.

The location and further details for this are not included in the report.

Two options have also been put forward for relocating 129 beds for patients in need of "intermediate" care, and stroke rehabilitation.

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The plans would see the total number of beds increased to 138 across the five remaining community hospitals, with Brentwood Community Hospital getting an additional 25 beds.

The Mid and South Essex ICB say that "putting the patient first" and "planning and providing enough of the right capacity to treat all our patients" are strategic objectives linked to this proposal.

An eight-week public consultation on the proposed changes is due to open on January 25.

The consultation will include a survey on the MSE website, face-to-face discussions in Burnham, Thurrock, Southend, Chelmsford, Basildon, and online discussion sessions.

There will also be a consultation hearing which will include a panel of experts from the ICB, which will be held in Maldon Town.

This consultation does not come as a surprise, after news of the suspension of Winter inpatient service closure in Autumn 2023.

More updates coming soon…