Residents against moves to relocate a surgery have responded to claims the current site is not fit for purpose.
The Burnham Surgery, in Foundry Lane, has addressed the public's concerns about a potential move to the new Burnham Waters development in Maldon Road.
The surgery has 9,635 patients, of which it has been determined that 48 per cent are based before the railway bridge and 52 per cent after the railway bridge.
It has eight GPs, two advanced nurses, four nurses and four health care assistants.
The existing building was built in around 1980 to accommodate five GPs and one nurse to serve 6,800 patients.
It was extended in 2015 to provide two extra consulting rooms to provide care for a total of 7,600 patients.
An NHS Estates-commissioned survey in July 2022 showed the premises to be “non-compliant with current standards and in need of major work within the next five years”.
It is for that reason that the surgery has decided a new building in a new location will be more suitable.
The relocation of the Burnham Surgery could boost capacity for up to 14,000 patients, with room for growth.
A spokesman for the Burnham Surgery said: “The current surgery premises do not meet current guidelines and have inadequate space and facilities for the surgery to meet NHS contract requirements.
“The cost of redesigning the current building is around £5million excluding VAT, plus the cost of rehousing the surgery whilst the work is carried out.
“A redesign on the current site will not meet future requirements. It will reduce the ability to host a full range of services to patients and to recruit new staff.
“A new building, in a new location, will accommodate all health services for Burnham and the surrounding area, and allow the disposal of the Burnham Clinic and the Burnham Surgery.
“Services can be continued from the existing premises while the new build is undertaken resulting in minimal disruption to services.
“Partnership with a developer keen to take on the delivery and development of new primary care premises on behalf of GPs, Integrated Care Systems and other associated healthcare partners will make a new building financially viable.”
The surgery said it will continue to work with the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board to find a solution.
The Burnham Save Our Surgery action group is strongly against the potential move for the surgery.
A meeting to discuss the future of the site saw nearly 450 in attendance.
Since then residents organised a march to draw attention to the difficulties residents may face having to walk to a new location.
Penny Tunbridge, spokesman for the group, said: “The position statement is a litany of inconsistencies, assumptions and speculations.
“We are shocked that, among many flaws, it totally misunderstands how cut off the Burnham Waters site is for patients and does not use factually correct information about the absence of public transport and safe pavements.
“It also completely ignores the detrimental impact of hundreds more cars and vans going to the out-of-town site every day, causing traffic headaches, noise and pollution.’’
The Burnham Save Our Surgery group is meeting on Saturday from 4pm at the surgery in Foundry Lane to sing carols to share their appreciation.
A patient questionnaire will be issued online by Healthwatch and a link will be accessible via the surgery website at www.burnhamsurgery.co.uk and be available to collect from the Burnham Surgery.
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