A Health boss admitted a surgery is failing its patients.

More than 100 angry residents demanded Chilvers McCrea, the company running the Green Elms surgery in Jaywick, should be removed.

Penny Lansdown, head of primary care commissioning at North East Essex NHS, admitted: “Frankly, it has not delivered. I think it under-estimated the challenge here.”

“We are micro-managing the contract here and if we do not get what we want, and if we do not get it soon, we will take the steps necessary.

“We are taking quite draconian measures. I am going to go into the surgery every week.

“If it does not perform, we will use the leverage in the contract to remove it if necessary.”

The company said services are improving and Mrs Lansdown said: “What we would like to do is work with the company to see if it can get it right.”

Furious residents took it in turns to share their experiences of the surgery, which has suffered from a long-term lack of permanent doctors.

Among them were an amputee who had called for help, and said the surgery had sent a doctor to the address of someone with the same surname, and a cancer patient who said the surgery had failed to act when her treatment caused her serious pain.

There were also complaints about patient confidentiality, incorrect or seriously delayed prescriptions, long waiting times for appointments and temporary locum doctors who could not speak English.

Rory McCrea, NHS GP and chairman of Chilvers McCrea Healthcare, said: “Our number one priority is patient care.

“That’s why we have spent considerable time and resources in recruiting permanent GPs to the Green Elms Medical Centre.

“By the start of November there will be four full-time GPs in place with a further permanent GP to be recruited next month.

“This will see Green Elms providing unprecedented continuity of care and access to healthcare for local people.

“Patients will also greatly benefit from the recent appointment of additional support staff, installation of state-of-the-art IT systems and investment in dedicated nursing services.”