Demonstrators gathered outside NHS offices to protest against a radical A&E shake-up.
Norman Traub, a member of the Southend Keep Our NHS Public campaign, led the group as they arrived at the Southend Clinical Commissioning Group headquarters, in Baxter Avenue, to hand over a petition signed by 900 people.
Campaigners fears plans for one major A&E department in south Essex, likely to be at Basildon Hospital, will put patients at risk. Southend and Broomfield, in Chelmsford, are set to be downgraded under the plans.
Mr Traub, a former consultant haematologist at Southend Hospital, said: “We are against the cuts to funding of our A&E departments. They should be increasing funding because demand is going up all the time.
“The suspicion is that Southend A&E will be downgraded and they will only be doing elective surgeries. All the acute surgeries and medical emergencies will be going to Basildon.”
Full Story in Echo News 1st December 2016