MPs have welcomed Colchester Hospital's merger with Ipswich but have declared more needs to be done to address a "chronically underfunded" NHS in Essex.

North Essex MP Bernard Jenkin has also called for the Turner Road's leadership to be "refreshed".

Mr Jenkin said: "It is clear that Colchester Hospital has been faced with very big challenges, in terms of finances, an ageing population and difficulty in recruiting staff.

"This partnership with Ipswich is sensible.

"The CQC are bound by law to take action if a hospital is in special measures for more than two years - we are now in that situation and the question now is 'how can the leadership be strengthened?'.

"I believe we need to refresh the leadership and governance, write a new strategic plan which demonstrates that the hospital needs more funding."

He added: "The NHS in Essex has been chronically underfunded to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds in the last decade which has resulted in underdevelopment of services, more stays in hospital and more people being put in ambulances to go to hospital."

The long-standing MP also called on the CQC to give the Turner Road hospital "a fair wind for a good period" to see how a new leadership group beds in.

Colchester MP Will Quince added: "Colchester Hospital has now been in special measures since 2013.

"Whilst staff and leadership have been working hard to improve the quality of care, things haven’t improved as quickly as any of us had hoped.

"Patient care must be the priority for all of us, and the potential partnership with Ipswich gives us the opportunity to tackle long-standing issues at the hospital.

"We need to see not just a sharing of services, but also action from NHS England to address financial issues affecting both trusts."

He added: "I will be seeking a meeting with the leadership at Ipswich Hospital Trust, stressing that we need to continue to have services provided at Colchester General Hospital, they support our campaign to keep our urology surgical unit, and that they have a plan to work with the staff at the hospital to continue delivering the high quality care received by so many in our town."