A scheme to provide a purpose-built health centre for five GP practices will not go ahead unless potential transport issues can be solved.
About 200 people packed out a meeting staged by the North East Essex Community Health Council (CHC) at Holland public hall to discuss the proposals.
The event was staged for patients of two practices in Holland-on-Sea - in Frinton Road and Grove Lodge in Queensway - to put their views across.
Joan Smith, chief executive of the CHC, said the greatest concern was how people would get to a new centre, which is being earmarked for Valleybridge Road.
The plan by the Tendring Primary Care Trust (PCT) is to provide the facilities for the two surgeries in Holland and three in Great Clacton.
Dr Jonathan Geldard, chairman of the PCT's executive committee, who was also at the meeting, said there were two issues brought up.
One was that patients feared they would no longer see their own GPs if the changes went ahead.
The PCT was able to assure them that would be the case and the practices would operate sererately within the centre.
"The second was transport and we hope to work together with a residents' group to tackle that. If we cannot solve that problem, we would not go ahead," he added.
Published Wednesday, February 26, 2003
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