IT was last July that the Standard revealed that both Maldon medical centres, Longfield and Blackwater, were “temporarily” closing their lists to new patients due to a staff shortage.

Nine months on, and this temporary change is acquiring an air of permanence.

Various proposals have been floated, including the potential creation of a medical base in what will eventually replace St Peter’s Hospital.

As Longfield’s practice manager points out, attending booked appointments or at least cancelling them instead of just not showing up would help.

But no-one is even pretending that a solution is imminent, despite the superhuman efforts of GPs and staff at our surgeries.

As a result, fewer sick people will be able to get appointments with their GP, and there will be more and costly visits to Broomfield’s Hospital A&E as a result.

The powers that be, namely our NHS and local authorities, need to get to grips with this crisis before it costs us, and them, even more.