MALDON’S doctor’s surgeries are still not taking on any new patients, 13 months after closing their lists.

The Standard revealed in August 2016 that both the Blackwater Medical Centre and Longfield Medical Centre had informed Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group they were operating informal list closures.

This meant new patients were unable to join the surgeries.

The CCG hoped at the time that many surgeries would reopen their lists within six weeks. However, 13 months on and the Maldon surgeries’ lists remain closed.

Lesley Beale, practise manager at Blackwater Medical Centre, said: “We are still currently working with two partners short and although the practice is funding locum cover for the short fall we do not think it is in the interest or safety of our current patients or new patients to be working under such pressures.

“We have successfully recruited an EU doctor but she cannot commence work for six months and even with her we will still be several sessions short.

“We are endeavouring to recruit to cover these sessions. We must also consider the extreme pressure under which our GP Partners are working due to the workload they have taken over from the retired partners.

“What we don’t want is any more of them retiring or having to go off sick with stress and burnout, which would put the practice in an extremely vulnerable position.

“I am confident that once we have secured salaried GPs/partners into post we will consider reopening the list.”

David Barker, practice manager at Longfield, added: “We are working with NHS England, Mid Essex CCG and Maldon District Council to move things forward however, one of the biggest hurdles we face is trying to stop appointments being booked, and then not being attended or cancelled.

“This has a huge impact on appointment availability and means that patients who really need an appointment are not able to book one. We have recently implemented a new text messaging service to enable our patients to text us back and cancel their appointment if it is no longer needed.”

A CCG spokesman said: “While patient lists remain suspended temporarily at the two practices in Maldon, NHS England and the CCG are supporting their hard work on measures aimed at increasing their capacity and reopening lists as soon as possible.”