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A PUBLIC meeting will be held on Friday, May 23, as consultation gets underway on proposals to improve health services for people living in Ongar and surrounding areas.

West Essex Primary Care Trust is proposing building a health centre on the site of the current Ongar War Memorial Hospital.

This would provide an increased range of primary care, diagnostic and therapy services and would incorporate both local GP practices - the Bansons Lane surgery and the single-handed practice in the High Street - and a dental surgery.

Many of the services in the proposed development are not currently available locally.

To create the necessary space and to deal with problems with the existing in-patient ward at Ongar, in-patient beds would be relocated to the Epping Forest Unit at St Margaret's Hospital, in Epping, which meets all the new infection control and privacy and dignity standards.

Service developments at the new Ongar health centre could include minor surgery, family planning, cardiac and chest rehabilitation, increased physiotherapy service, counselling, closer links with social services, improved children's services, ultrasound, and better training facilities.

Primary care trust chief executive Aidan Thomas said: "We recognise the significant local contribution made to the improvement of Ongar War Memorial Hospital over recent years. However, the building cannot now meet modern standards for privacy and dignity and infection control.

"While the standard of care is very high, the facilities are too small to enable the effective provision and development of services. That is why we are now consulting on proposals to develop and modernise local health care facilities having had positive discussions with a group of local stakeholders."

Two public meeting have been organised. The first is at the Great Stony Hall, High Street, Ongar, between 7pm and 9pm on Friday, May 23. The other is at the Budworth Hall, High Street, Ongar, between 1.30pm and 3.30pm on Friday, June 20.

The consultation ends on August 6. Copies of the consultation document are available by ringing Freephone 0800 7833396 or e-mail: mail@westessexpct.nhs.uk.

9:28am Monday 12th May 2008

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