THE regional boss of the NHS has refused to rule out a hospital merger under plans to overhaul healthcare in south Essex.

In its latest progress report on its plans, the organisation calls for greater collaboration between hospitals, where the sharing of medical and administrative staff is implemented.

It is hoped to pave the way for a merger of services which could ultimately see Southend, Basildon and mid-Essex Hospital trusts operating under one administrative team.

This could lead to specific services, such as cancer treatment or stroke teams, concentrated in one or other of the three centres.

Asked if there could be a merger of hospitals, Andrew Pike, Essex area director of NHS England, said: “The three hospitals in the success regime are looking at the extent to which closer working can bring benefits to patients.There are no firm plans as yet.”

Despite it’s name, the Essex Success Regime plans only cover south Essex. The regime, being piloted in three areas where there are significant difficulties and financial problems, includes Southend, Basildon and mid-Essex hospitals while excluding west and north Essex, including the troubled Colchester and Harlow hospitals.

NHS England says south Essex is a “manageable-sized area” in which to deliver the wide-ranging changes it hopes will solve problems, but it will turn its attention to north and midEssex in the future.

Plans are already under way to provide a urology cancer care centre in one Essex-wide unit, with competition between Southend and Colchester to run it.

Mr Pike said: “Following the initial review last October, it was recommended thatacollaboration between mid and south Essex would be more manageable, and yet large enough to make improvements through joint working. Mid and south Essex is still a large area covering a population of over a million.

“There is a separate improvement process for north east Essex, with national support.”

‘Our patients need joined-up care’

SOUTHEND and Basildon Hospital chief executives have released a joint statement where they welcome an ever closer working relationship.

Asked to comment on Mr Pike’s views on any possible merger, Sue Hardy, chief executive at Southend Hospital and Clare Panniker, chief executive of Basildon and Thurrock Hospital, said: “The success regime is an opportunity to build upon work the three trusts have already begun – identifying opportunities to work together to improve the quality of services for local people and making the best use of our resources.

“We already have some great examples of where we have come together to develop services for our wider population, such as the cardiothoracic centre in Basildon, cancer and radiotherapy services in Southend and burns and plastics care in Broomfield.”

They added: “The success regime will build on this by working closely with the organisations which commission NHS services, local authorities, community providers and mental health trusts to identify other areas where functions and resources – clinical and non-clinical – can be shared.

“We need to ensure patients in this part of Essex experience joined up, seamless care, whether they go to their GP, visit A&E, access community services, or receive care at home.”

Ms Hardy and Ms Panniker said the plans to share services were a longterm project, but one which is already well under way.

They said: “Our clinical teams are already working together and starting to look at new ways of sharing services, which could change the way patients access healthcare.

“This is at least a three-year project and any changes or ideas suggested as part of the success regime will need to be discussed with our local communities.

“We want the success regime to be a real platform for change delivering better outcomes and securing a sustainable NHS for future generations.”