INPATIENT services at Maldon’s St Peter’s Hospital will be relocated to Bromfield Hospital from June to allow for repair works.

The maintenance works will be taking place in the ward accommodation at the hospital in Spital Road.

The first floor of St Peter’s community ward which currently houses a Stroke Unit and IMC (Intermediate Care) beds will be affected by these works.

In order to minimise the impact of the works on the inpatients of the community ward, a decision has been made that the works will be completed during the summer months, when there is historically less pressure and demand on services.

To further reduce disruption to the service and impact patient experience, both units will be temporarily relocated to Broomfield Hospital from June 2016.

Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust, which owns St Peter’s Hospital; Provide, who run services within the two units and Mid Essex CCG, as commissioners of the services, are working together to ensure patient care remains the priority during this time.

Carol Anderson, Acting Accountable Officer for Mid Essex CCG, explained: “We will endeavour to keep any disruption to a minimum and want to reassure patients that our focus will be on ensuring that care is not compromised while these repair works are carried out.”

Carin Charlton, Director of Strategy & Corporate Services for Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust, said: "In order to minimise the disruption for patients and to ensure the repair works do not compromise patient experience, we, together with Provide and the CCG have agreed to temporarily relocate the inpatient services to the Broomfield site. This will enable works to be undertaken as swiftly as possible, without impacting on the service operation and patient experience".

Jane Corser, Executive Clinical & Operations Director for Provide, said: “To maintain patient safety and experience and release the space for the maintenance works, we have decided to temporarily relocate the ward at St Peter's for the duration of the works. Instead, patients will be treated at Writtle ward within Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

“This ward is currently empty and so it can be used solely for patients who require Provide's stroke rehabilitation and intermediate care services. Provide staff who currently work at St Peter's will deliver the same range of services to patients but from this temporary location. The services will be delivered, managed and overseen by Provide as they are now. We will contact any patients who may be affected by these temporary changes.”

The temporary relocation of both the Stroke Unit and IMC beds from the first floor of St Peter’s Hospital is expected to start middle/end of June.