CRITICS have slammed the decision by health bosses to move ahead with controversial plans to shake up healthcare in south Essex despite despite them not yet being officially confirmed.

Last week, bosses behind the Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) announced they would be pushing through the first stage of plans in the autumn despite Southend and Thurrock councils referring them to the health secretary Matt Hancock for scrutiny.

The proposals include creating specialist centres at Southend, Basildon and Broomfield hospitals and transferring patients across Essex to centres which best meet their needs.

Bosses at the STP say the first stage would see “improvements” in vascular, urological, orthopaedic and trauma care.

However, Southend councillors and campaigners have criticised STP chief executive Claire Panniker for seemingly ignoring the scrutiny of the Secretary of State for Health.

Matt Dent, Southend councillor and advocate for referral, said: “As we unanimously agreed to refer the plans to the health secretary because they were not in the best interest of the borough, it is extremely disappointing that at the same time as they are being reviewed, the STP are moving forward with them.

“Clare Panniker is going ahead regardless and it is making a mockery of the democratic process if she is not going to wait for the decision. This process is there for a reason and it is still ongoing.”

The health secretary has now asked the Independent Reconfiguration Panel to give initial advice on the changes.

Labour councillor Mr Dent added: “I would hope the panel will look at our referral in detail and return a decision that will be in the interest of healthcare in Southend.”

Mike Fieldhouse, secretary of the Save Southend NHS campaign group, said the decision was disappointing.

He added: “The audacity and arrogance of the board in continuing with their changes to services while still under review is astounding.

“In spite of two councils referring the STP’s plans to the Health Secretary following serious concerns being raised, NHS management have pre-empted the outcome of these investigations and decided that they know best.

“Such a disregard for the agreed process must surely bring into question Ms Panniker and the board’s suitability to run our NHS services.”

“The fact that Ms Panniker believes she can ride roughshod over democracy clearly demonstrates the contempt in which she holds the people she is supposed to be serving.”

In a document seen by the Echo, bosses insist they have been “careful” to ensure this first set of changes do not affect the main areas of concern.

They also insist that in the event that Mr Hancock does not support the changes, the STP will have the opportunity to stop their implementation.