A NEW doctor’s surgery, a nursing home and an independent living scheme are all being mooted as the future for healthcare in Maldon.

Maldon District Council, the Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), GPs and patient groups are working together to draw up plans for future facilities for the town.

St Peter’s Hospital, in Spital Road, is to be replaced or overhauled and redeveloped.

However it was revealed in January any new facility would be named a ‘health hub’ as there was no guarantee there would be beds, inpatient services or maternity services.

The council, CCG and Blackwater and Longfield patient groups held a meeting last week to discuss the plans.

Work is underway to assess what services are needed to provide care within the community.

The project includes plans for the new health hub in or around Maldon and a new GP surgery in the new North Heybridge Garden Suburb.

Councillors and NHS staff are also looking at the possibility of providing an independent living housing scheme and a nursing home.

Mid Essex Hospitals Trust (MEHT) which owns the current St Peter’s Hospital site, is in discus- sions with the council to provide services for a new health hub on an alternative site.

Maldon District Council’s chief executive, Fiona Marshall, said: “I am pleased that the discussions about health provision and a new community health hub for the district are really starting to take shape.

“I am confident that we have the commitment from all of our partners to deliver a package of first class health services to the residents of the district and I look forward to seeing this progress.”

Dr Caroline Dollery, chairman of Mid Essex CCG, said: “We look forward to continuing the collaboration with patient representatives and others involved in the project board to ensure that we can shape plans for services that support people to receive care at home wherever possible.”

A spokesman for the Blackwater and Longfield Patient Reference Group, added; “We are enthused by the process that is actually starting to make positive ground in planning the new Maldon community health hub.

“The resources of those who deliver primary health care have never been so stretched and the demands so high.

“However, the multi-agency board which is tasked with providing the new health hub is working well together.

"From a patient perspective, it is vital representatives convey the fears and hopes of patients. But we must additionally be mindful of the extreme pressures health providers have been placed under.”

The spokesman said the group would continue to work to get the best for patients.

He said: “We have a duty not to allow the dilution of services to patients in the Maldon area.

“We must attempt to get the best possible provision with the money available.”