HEALTH chiefs are set to scrap controversial money-saving plans to restrict physiotherapy and hearing aid services.

Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had proposed to limit referrals to physiotherapy in a bid to help clear debts of £25m.

During an eight-week consultation last year, it suggested saving up to £1m a year by either stopping GP accessed physiotherapy, offering telephone advice or reducing available appointments to one assessment and one follow-up.

Campaigners feared the move could lead to the closure of clinics at community hospitals, including Braintree Community Hospital, Halstead Hospital and St  peter's Hospital in Maldon.

But the proposals are set to be shelved after health experts came up with different money-saving ways to operate the service.

Steve Tolan, head of practice at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: “This is very welcome news.

“We recognise that CCGs like Mid Essex are operating in an extremely challenging financial environment.

“The new model now on the table shows that through collaboration – between health professionals, commissioners and the wider public – it is possible to develop cost-effective services which deliver the care people need.”

The new proposal would save £200,000.

Only patients with “significant pain levels or functional impairment” would be immediately be referred to physiotherapy, with other patients given online support and advice on self-management.

A telephone service would later be used to assess their needs and refer them to services if necessary.

The physiotherapy will then be delivered either in one-to-one or group sessions.

In its latest board papers the CCG said: “The proposed model is designed such that it will enable continuance of service delivery for consultant access physiotherapy.

“Further in year savings may be possible with increased and collaborative pathway redesign between providers to achieve a fully community based multi-disciplinary team pain service.”

Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust has also proposed a different way of saving £335,000 on hearing aid services by introducing a “one stop shop” for fitting devices and reviewing the frequency of reassessments.

The new proposals were agreed at a board meeting in Braintree on Thursday.