Maldon residents react to proposed closure of St Peter's Hospital

Residents say they have been left "upset" and "disgusted" after the proposed closure of a 150-year-old hospital was announced.

Resources at St Peter's Hospital in Maldon are set to be moved miles away under plans to redistribute inpatient beds.

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust's board approved a pre-consultation business case on Tuesday.

It previously said "quality of care" was at the "heart" of decision-making.

Under the plans, the birthing unit at St Peter's would be relocated to a unit next to Braintree Community Hospital, which is 16 miles (26km) away.

The Victorian hospital, which has been in Maldon since 1873, would potentially be put up for sale at £6.2m.

Julia Brown, 61, from the town, said it was "very sad for Maldon".

"We do need a something here," she told the BBC, adding that not all patients would be able to travel elsewhere.

Nicky Crisp has been campaigning for the past 30 years to retain services at St Peter's.

"Maldon is bigger than it has ever been and they are degrading the services and people are less able to access the services," she said.

"It is not appropriate in 2024 for people to be doing these journeys."

Ian Littlewood, 57, who has lived in Maldon his whole life, said: "I am disgusted. It is just diabolical that they are closing.

"The size that Maldon is becoming now, it's ridiculous, we need a hospital - they could easily make a good hospital here."

Kevin Jennings, a Liberal Democrat member of Maldon District Council, said: "It is terrifying knowing that there is little to no adequate medical provision for the whole district.

"The facility is beyond the type of money we need to restore it, if we were having this conversation 20 years ago - maybe something could have been done."

Maldon Conservative MP Sir John Whittingdale said he was "extremely disappointed" about the closure.

"The loss of local provision of essential outpatient services such as X-ray, blood tests, diagnostics and physiotherapy is unacceptable unless and until an alternative local site can be found," he said.

The NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board - which commissions services in the area - is also due to discuss the proposals on Thursday afternoon. An eight-week public consultation over the proposed closure is due to open on 25 January.

The trust previously admitted there were staff shortages at St Peter's.

A Nursing and Midwifery Council report found 27,000 people quit the profession in the year ending last March and back in August said there was a shortage of 2,000 midwives in England.

Outpatient services, such as diagnostics and screening, are the only appointments currently taking place at St Peter's.

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