The Leader of Maldon District Council has said he is "completely dismayed" at the NHS' decision to suspend inpatient services at St Peter's Hospital this autumn.

St Peter's will temporarily stop providing inpatient services as it is no longer possible to sustain a "safe and high-quality service" at the Maldon facility, the NHS has announced. However, outpatient services such as diagnostics, screening and blood tests will still be provided for residents.

Following the announcement from the NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board, Councillor Richard Siddall said: "I am completely dismayed at the decision which has been made by the Integrated Care Board. Whilst I recognise the issues the NHS are facing with the St Peter's site, these are not new problems and something that should have been managed appropriately. However, we recognise that patient safety is the uppermost consideration in this decision.

"The move of the Stroke Unit to Brentwood is going to be particularly hard for families who will have to rely on public transport, and this does not appear to have been a consideration when they made their decision. It will also impact on NHS staff who work at the hospital, many who are local and moving to Brentwood for some will be impossible.

"The Council will continue to work closely with the NHS to ensure that the remaining services continue to be delivered in Maldon. In addition, we will be pushing NHS to bring forward the delivery of the proposed medical facilities across the District, which have been outlined in our Local Development Plan, this will ensure that the best services possible are provided for our residents."

In May, local MP Sir John Whittingdale said heads need "knocking together" to ensure health services in Maldon can improve.

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