AS the performance of Basildon Hospital comes under scrutiny following the review at Mid Staffordshire, the media is full of stories where the performance of the Trust has been less than it should be.

As a Member of Parliament, it is my role to challenge our public services when they are falling down on the job. It is fair to say I have spent much of the past three years doing exactly that when it comes to Basildon.

I must use my voice to hold providers to account to ensure the people of Thurrock have health services at a standard they deserve.

It is not my role, however, to tell the health professionals how to do their job, and how best they can ensure the best possible service. That brings me to the proposals regarding strokes.

If clinicians believe they can offer better care by consolidating some services at Southend rather than Basildon, then that is a professional judgment for them. It is a decision that has to be made on clinical grounds, not political convenience.

There has been some suggestion that the proposal to build a new hospital in the centre of Grays would reduce dependence on Basildon. It would not.

That proposal amounted only to a relocation of existing services from Grays Community Hospital. No doubt in the long run, that site will be freed up for the construction of new housing. The plan was a non-starter right from the outset.

The PCT never had the money after it had acquired a significant overspend and spent millions on a new facility in Brentwood. I am appalled at the many millions of taxpayers’ pounds that have been spent in pursuing this proposal.

While there has been substantial change at Basildon, the downside is that those who were responsible for managing the failings are no longer around to be held to account.

The new management team will find they are being challenged for failings which are not their responsibility.

I hope they will not find themselves diverted by hostile comments. They have a bigger and more important job to do in driving forward improvement.