Campaigners who successfully fought plans to downgrade Broomfield A&E are preparing for their next battle - to fight plans for £400 million of health cuts in mid and south Essex.

Defend our NHS Chelmsford’s latest campaign comes as the NHS endures another winter crisis.

Cuts would mean many patients being treated at Basildon instead of Broomfield.

Although blue light emergencies will still go to Broomfield first to be stabilised, a victory won by campaigners in the summer, the plans will see Basildon become the main specialist centre for emergency care in mid and south Essex, with many patients being transferred for extra care.

The latest petition, ‘Stop the Mid/South Essex cuts to NHS emergency care’, has currently been signed by 2,034 people.

Defend Our NHS Chelmsford spokesperson Andy Abbott said: “We are currently working with other campaigners in the county, including health professionals, on a response to the huge consultation document.

“We hope members of the public have as much information as possible when they respond to the plans. We have until March 9 to get in our responses.

“Our NHS is not failing. But it is being failed by the Government.

“We need to act now to save our NHS for future generations, because it is already very clear what seven years of cuts have done to our NHS. Any further cuts will see our NHS collapse.”

Other initiatives include demonstrations in Chelmsford High Street in February, and working with fellow campaigners in Southend and Basildon to encourage members of the public to respond to the recently launched consultation into the plans.

Local health bosses at the Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) are responsible for delivering the £400 million cuts in mid and south Essex, and launched a public consultation into the plans last month.

Andy added: “The question has to be asked as well, how will Basildon cope with all this extra demand? It’s been struggling to cope with existing demand as it is, regularly being on black alert.

“Furthermore, for friends and relatives of patients who rely on public transport, Basildon is a very difficult place to visit from Chelmsford, and virtually impossible from somewhere like Halstead. Yet such support networks are vital for patients in recovery.

“We also fear that with Broomfield inevitably losing emergency care staff to the specialist centre in Basildon, how will Broomfield A&E cope with the loss of these skills? Will this be a downgrade of Broomfield A&E by stealth?”

The ‘No to £400 million local health cuts – save our NHS’ demonstration and rally will take place from midday on February 17 in the middle of Chelmsford High Street by Waterstones.

There will be speakers from local and national campaigns, and leafleting to raise awareness of the consultation into the plans.