Residents have been given longer to have their say about controversial plans to shake-up the health service.

A consultation on Mid and South Essex 'Sustainability and Transformation Plan' (STP) will be extended by a further two weeks. 

The Your Care in the Best Place consultation currently taking place across mid and south Essex has been extended with responses now being accepted up to and including Friday March 23 2018.

The consultation was launched on November 30 2018 following approval from the Joint Committee of the five Clinical Commissioning Groups and had been due to close on March 9 2018.

The decision to allow a further two weeks to receive responses comes following feedback from the public and stakeholders that more time to formulate responses would be helpful for those attending planned consultation activities in the final week.

The consultation is seeking responses to outline plans for the future of health and care services, in particular specialist care services provided by the three main hospitals.

The consultation asks some complex orthopaedic operations that need a few days hospital stay could be performed in Southend Hospital for people in south Essex and Braintree Community Hospital for people in mid Essex.

In addition it asks how best to improve the A&E departments at three hospitals and the development of a new specialist stroke centre.

Professor Mike Bewick, Independent Chair of the CCG Joint Committee said:“The public consultation is an important part of the work we have been doing to develop and build a health and care system fit for the future for the people of mid and south Essex and provide the public a further opportunity to help shape the proposals.

“No final decision has been taken to implement any of the changes described, which can only happen after the consultation with our local communities has finished and the feedback independently analysed, so please do take this extended opportunity to have your say.”

Full details of the proposals and the ways in which people can get involved are available at www.nhsmidandsouthessex.co.uk.