Liberal Democrats Campaign for Primary Care Centre On Chafford

12.01.00am GMT Thu 1st Mar 2007

Earnshaw Palmer collecting petition signatories

Chafford Liberal Democrats are now leading a campaign for a new Primary Care Centre on the estate.

We have already collected 500 signatures for our joint petition to South West Essex Primary Care Trust and Thurrock Council.

We are calling them to work together with partner agencies to establish a Primary Care Centre on Chafford.

Earnshaw Palmer who is leading this campaign said,

"There is an acute need for increased medical facilities on the Chafford Hundred as well as adequate outdoor facilities for young people and their families.

Consideration should now be given to the building of a Primary Care Centre to deliver improved healthcare."

There are two plots of council owned land on Chafford Hundred along Warren Lane and Rainbow Road which are surplus to requirements and have remained derelict for over a decade. In 2003, Liberal Democrats collected over 600 signatures on a petition calling on Thurrock Council to retain these lands for community use. They should now be set aside for a health centre and youth provision.

The new Primary Care Centre can provide a wide range of additional services such as

• Affordable dental services which includes NHS patients.

• Wide range of diagnostic procedures for example, X-rays, blood tests and ultrasound - as these are currently not available locally and require trips to Orsett or Basildon.

• Outpatient services, minor surgeries, maternity services, all associated services for children and young people.

These are some of the benefits of a Primary Care Centre for Chafford Hundred

This would be a one-stop shop facility which could provide a range of services. For example health, social care and services for young people.

• Apart from the obvious need to get medical treatment when it is required, attention should also be focused on health promotion, advice on healthy living and basic prevention of ill health.

• Proximity to a range of enhanced services will be most beneficial to those who need it and ease of access would also be advantageous.

• It is the expectation that services should be designed around the needs of users and could also result in extended hours. When you consider that many residents of Chafford Hundred are daily commuters, this would be more convenient and encourage more people to use the services available.

• It would also be highly desirable for the Community Forum to set up a Patients Participation Group and work with the GPs in order to give residents the opportunity of influencing decisions on the range of health services they would like to be provided on the estate.

South West Essex Primary Care Trust is now urged to make a formal request for this land whilst carrying out an options appraisal through NHS lands.

Everyone will agree with me that this is a once-in-lifetime opportunity not to be missed and it is time for swift, decisive and joined up action amongst Thurrock Council, South West Essex PCT and other partner agencies to make the establishment of a Primary Care Centre on Chafford Hundred a reality. There is no time like the present."

Related Links:

Download Our Chafford Hundred Primary Care Petition.

Sign Our Chafford Hundred Primary Care Petition on-line.