Night cover could return to Harwich Hospital within three months, it has been revealed.

The hospital has been without night-time cover since November due to pressures at Colchester General Hospital.

Campaigners have called for the service to be reinstated and now a solution may be close to being reached.

Mike Salmon, chairman of Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust, said talks had been taking place between his group, Tendring Primary Care Group and the ambulance service.

He said: "We are moving towards a solution. We are looking at effective use of staff and multi-skilling. We had no wish to take anything at all away from Harwich Hospital, it needs more support not less."

He said the initial move to reduce cover was taken due to the pressure of work at Colchester General Hospital's accident and emergency department, compared with the lesser pressure at Harwich.

He declined to go into details about any possible solution but added: "I am certainly looking at finding a solution within the next two to three months but it's got to be effective."

Mr Salmon was speaking as Health Secretary Frank Dobson visited Harwich Hospital as part of his visit to the Labour Party's eastern region conference in Clacton.

Mr Dobson said of the night-time closures: "Ivan Henderson played quite a part in campaigning to stop the unit disappearing altogether. The people campaigning locally are now in talks with the primary care group to try to sort out something that is beneficial."

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