‘No more excuses over management of Braintree Hospital’

Trustees of Braintree Community Hospital will not accept any more excuses from the management over its running of the facility.

Members of The Friends of Braintree Community Hospital and concerned residents had the chance to grill bosses from Mid Essex Hospitals Trust (MEHT) and Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) at the Friends’ annual general meeting.

Questions inevitably turned to Home First proposals, under which beds in the Courtauld Ward will be repurposed for orthopaedic operations for residents across mid and south Essex.

Professor Christopher Green, chairman of The Friends of Braintree Community Hospital, said: “There was a lot of concerns raised about the plans and particularly the timetable for it, whether the staff were available and if dealing with elderly patients at home was a good idea.

“There was frustration expressed about the lack of a strategic plan for the hospital.

“We believe they have taken their eye off the ball and are more concerned about possible mergers.”

More than 60 interested residents attended the meeting, and grilled hospital bosses on the future of the important community facility, which opened in 2010.

Article from Baintree and Witham Times, 5 March 2018