Have your say on where central GP led services will be offered in Grays

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (MSEICB) have worked with, Archus, healthcare infrastructure specialists and the MSEICB estates team, to review existing local primary care (GP practice) buildings in Grays.

This helped us to find out what would work best for Grays GP led services and what would be most practical in terms of rebuild / future proofing and space. The review will support plans to find a preferred site for the primary care (GP led) element of the Grays Integrated Medical and Wellbeing Centre (IMWC).

A six-week engagement period is underway, ending on 2 September, to give you an opportunity to share your thoughts and views on the potential options. Here is a list of the four options explaining what’s good and what’s not so good for each.

Business as usual

Advantages

• No disruption to service delivery
• No requirement for engagement or additional investment.

Disadvantages

• No modernised facilities for residents and no extra capacity.
• Not future-proofed or digital compliant.
• Limited opportunity to integrate GP-led services with urgent care.
• Limited support for estate relocation from Orsett Hospital.

Do the bare minimum

Advantages

• Minimal disruption to service delivery.
• Some modernisation of facilities.
• Minor layout changes will improve usage of space.

Disadvantages

• No extra capacity.
• Limited future-proofing.
• Limited opportunity to integrate GP-led services with urgent care.
• Limited support for estate relocation from Orsett Hospital.

Enhanced Stifford Clays Health Centre site

Advantages

• Modernised Stifford Clays Health Centre stays open
• Footprint increased to 765 square metres from current 585 square metres offering additional capacity and accommodation for other health and care roles.
• Potential for future expansion onto staff car parking spaces.
• ‘Virtual IMWC hub’ facility allowing some multi-skilled service delivery.
• Lower cost for modern facility than new build, estimated £4.2m.

Disadvantages

• Less opportunity to integrate primary care with urgent and care services than co-location would allow.

New build on shared site with urgent care and possible diagnostic centre

Advantages

• Better integration with urgent care thanks to multi-skilled workforce.
• Footprint increased to 896 square metres from current 585 square metres
• Potential for future expansion due to modular design.

Disadvantages

• Build cost, estimated at £9.7m.
• Significant increase in traffic on Long Lane
• Closure and disposal of Stifford Clays Health Centre

Primary care (GP led services) vision for Thurrock

Thurrock as an Alliance of partners, including the NHS, local authority and community/voluntary sector, are working with Mid and South Essex ICB to bring forward a strategy to improve and increase capacity in primary care (GP led services).

There is a GP fellowship programme, which will recruit new GPs to support primary care across Thurrock. This is in addition to other health and care professionals being recruited to support all elements of health and care.

There are four Primary Care Networks (Networks of GP practices) in Thurrock, including Grays Primary Care Network, that offer a range of services to support their local population. This includes mental health, physiotherapy, long term conditions support and more. 

They need modern purpose-built facilities to deliver these services and work in partnership with wider health, community and care partners through the Better Care Together Thurrock model. Delivery of this partnership working, through the new Integrated Health and Wellbeing Centres will mean more appropriate and flexible space to support Thurrock’s growing population.