WORK has resumed on a project to merge the varied transport services that ensure patients in Maldon, Burnham and the Dengie Peninsula can get to appointments.

It's the latest step in amalgamation and unification of many health connected services across the region, where several hospitals - including the former Basildon & Thurrock Hospitals Trust - have already come under one united trust, a move that wasn't achieved without significant opposition from local communities.

Currently there are well advanced plans to bring the region's five NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) together as one body and it is now planned to formally procure a single patient transport service for eligible patients living in Mid Essex, Basildon & Brentwood, Castle Point & Rochford, Southend and Thurrock.

Currently there are several separate patient transport services operating across the region.

A spokesperson for the CCGs said: "A single service will be smoother and more efficient for patients, particularly as the local health and care system is working to join up and integrate how we care for our 1.2 million population.

"The procurement process began in 2019 with a series of stakeholder engagement workshops and a survey for service users to find out how the patient transport service could be improved.

"It was paused last year during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic response but is now continuing, with the new service planned to start by spring/summer 2022."

Non-emergency patient transport is an NHS service that provides transport for patients to attend NHS funded hospital or clinic appointments. To use the service patients must meet the eligibility criteria which are based on medical need.