CONCERNS have been raised about a new care centre putting even more pressure on the emergency department at Southend Hospital.

Councillors fear the assessment centre, being built to reduce the strain on A&E, will actually do the opposite.

The plan is for GPs to carry out an initial assessment of patients, not brought in by ambulance, and decide whether they require emergency treatment or are best treated at a pharmacy.

Bosses at NHS South East Essex are convinced within two years the centre will reduce the number of people coming into A&E by 20 per cent.

However concerns were raised at the latest Southend Council community services scrutiny committee.

Lesley Salter, chairman of the committee, said: “I queried how quickly the PCT believes the reduction in patients will be.

“Mainly because they say initially the same amount of people will come, and until they advise people of where is best to go for treatment it may increase.

“When people hear a GP is at the hospital all the time they are going to go there, even if they are sent away in ten minutes.”

She added: “It seems to be asking a lot of GPs to do a quick assessment of patients within two to three minutes to diagnose whether they need urgent treatment or not.”

The revised planning application for the centre is expected back before planning councillors in October.

It needs to address their reasons for refusal last month – these included the building’s design and the loss of 20 parking spaces.

The meeting also discussed proposals by the trust to close the Globe surgery in Preston Road, Westcliff, affecting 1,300 patients.

They welcomed the consultation being carried out, but raised concerns about what other practices would be able to take on the additional patients.

Mrs Salter added: “We were assured the new health centre, to be built in Valkyrie Road, would manage to take most patients while others who travel to the Globe may find a surgery nearer their home.

“It may be another year before the Globe closes and it ties in with the opening of the new health centre, in Valkyrie Road, which will be more convenient and bigger.