Hopes of saving St Michael's hospital in Braintree have been raised.

The Witham, Braintree and Halstead Primary Care Group says it wants to keep it open.

Under new health plans for the area, the hospital is to be sold off for development while a new £5.3 million community hospital is created on the site of William Julien Courtauld Hospital, in London Road.

During a public consultation of the plans, organised by the health authority and primary care group, concerns were raised over siting the new community hospital at Courtaulds instead of the larger site at St Michael's.

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