Following careful review of all feedback and the evidence presented, NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board has today, 17 July 2025, approved the following:
Summary of key decisions:
Community outpatient and ambulatory care services at St Peter’s Hospital, Maldon will remain for up to five years while local NHS works to develop a new local health hub.
A split-site stroke rehabilitation model will be introduced to improve access and reduce travel burden, with services based in Rochford and Brentwood.
The freestanding midwife-led birthing unit previously at St Peter’s will be permanently relocated to Braintree, with antenatal and postnatal outpatient care remaining in Maldon.
Tom Abell, Chief Executive for NHS Mid and South Essex said: “The decisions reached today reflect our ambition to improve health services for everyone who lives in mid and south Essex.
“We listened carefully to the feedback we’ve received on these proposals, and I want to thank everyone involved, including the members of the community and the staff involved who gave up their time to give their views, which have informed the decisions we have made today.
“There will be a period of implementation, during which we will work closely with staff and local communities to ensure they are actively involved as their expertise will be critical in ensuring we get the best possible outcomes for patients because of these changes.”
ENDS
Notes to editor
The recommendations presented to NHS Mid and South Essex formed part of a Decision Making Business Case that was developed following a detailed review of all the options, based on:
The original pre-consultation business case
Public and stakeholder feedback from a formal public consultation
Recommendations from medical experts
Equality and quality impact assessments
Financial impact assessments
Community working group input and recommendations
St Peter’s Hospital, Maldon: Community outpatient and ambulatory care services will stay at St Peter’s hospital, Maldon for the next 0-5 years while plans refocus on a long-term replacement health hub.
Intermediate Care and Stroke rehabilitation inpatient care: Implementation of ‘Option B’*. This option features the same number of total beds currently in operation but ensures residents who require specialist stroke rehabilitation have good access and choice in two separate sites (Brentwood and Rochford), reducing travel burden on visiting families. Intermediate care beds would be split across four other community hospitals across mid and south Essex.
Standalone midwife-led birthing unit: Midwife-led birthing unit – previously located at St Peter’s, Maldon – will permanently relocate at the William Julien Courtauld birthing centre in Braintree. Pre and postnatal outpatients will remain in place at St Peters, Maldon in line with the decision around other community services.
Further information about the proposal, public consultation and the recommendations of a Community Consultation Working Group are available on the Virtual Views engagement platform.
