Hullbridge councillor Michael Hoy reflects on some bad news for Hullbridge here:
It appears that Southend Hospital is withdrawing part of the Blood Test service provided via Riverside Medical Centre (The only Doctors Surgery in Hullbridge). The reduction in service will mean the current ability to see 150 patients a week will be cut by a third to just 100, by the end of this month.
This service is very well used with clinics usually full and with an elderly and ageing population this can only add more pressure onto a reducing service. Patients will be forced to go outside of the village for blood tests, maybe as far as Southend or Canvey but Hockley or Rayleigh at least. As blood test are normally needed if someone is ill, or to monitor an illness, this must be far from ideal…..
……We will shortly publish an address for you to write to about this or alternatively please give your views here and we will pass them on.
Michael sees this as part of a trend:
It does seem to us that Hullbridge is currently being hit with many cuts to its services, from the toilets to the bus service from the Dome (an old but enduring problem) and the threat of closure to the Domes already inadequate Doctors Surgery, through to the slow and steady reduction in services at the clinic which has now closed and more recently the changes to the Post Office.
It is frustrating that with the rise of the cabinet system there are scarce opportunities for councillors to discuss issues like these.