A group of doctors has diagnosed serious problems for GP services in Brentwood if plans for a nursing home are allowed to go-ahead.
Partners at the Avenue Road Surgery are warning that general practice in the borough is already "seriously overstretched" and the influx of 114 elderly dependent patients would put a considerable extra strain on the service.
Ranc Care Homes Ltd has submitted plans to Brentwood Borough Council for a nursing home and detached building containing a creche on the former Pilgrims Hatch County Infants School site in Larchwood Gardens, Pilgrims Hatch.
A previous application was withdrawn by the same Newbury Park-based company. The company says the development is needed to help solve a crisis in nursing home beds in the district.
But doctors at Avenue Road in Brentwood have urged councillors to reject the plans.
Their written representation to the council states: "General practice in Brentwood is already seriously overstretched and this development would put considerable extra strain on the service.
"It would bring into the borough a large number of very dependent patients. Even though we all have significantly more patients than average, we would be forced to take on these as well. We feel this would be unsafe both for these new patients and existing patients of Brentwood. We implore you to reject the application."
In a letter to support the proposal Ranc Care Homes director, Rob Rai says social services are extremely enthusiastic about the project because Brentwood is an area with a "critical under shortage" of nursing home beds.
He states: "At present patients from this area have to travel as far as Chelmsford and beyond and as far as Basildon in the opposite direction to find a bed.
"I have spoken to various colleagues who are geriatricians in Brentwood and they are all experiencing severe difficulties in finding beds for their patients - all the indicators from GPs and consultants point to a very needed project in the area."
A small number of local residents have also objected to the plans, chiefly due to concerns about parking.
Published Tuesday, June 17, 2003
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