www.bbc.com Open in urlscan Pro
151.101.192.81  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

LET US KNOW YOU AGREE TO COOKIES

We use cookies to give you the best online experience. Please let us know if you
agree to all of these cookies.

Yes, I agree

No, take me to settings

BBC Homepage
 * Skip to content
 * Accessibility Help

 * Sign in


 * Home
 * News
 * Sport
 * Reel
 * Worklife
 * Travel
 * Future
 * More menu

More menu
Search BBC
 * Home
 * News
 * Sport
 * Reel
 * Worklife
 * Travel
 * Future
 * Culture
 * Music
 * TV
 * Weather
 * Sounds

Close menu
BBC News
Menu
 * Home
 * War in Ukraine
 * Climate
 * Video
 * World
 * UK
 * Business
 * Tech
 * Science
 * Entertainment & Arts

More
 * Health
 * World News TV
 * In Pictures
 * Reality Check
 * Newsbeat

 * England
 * Regions
 * Essex




DOCTOR AND DENTIST SHORTAGE IN SOUTHEND HIGHLIGHTED

Published
1 day ago

Share
close panel
Share page
Copy link
About sharing

Image caption,
Southend Healthwatch criticised shortage of doctors and dentists
By Christine Sexton
Local Democracy Reporter, Essex


A shortage of doctors and dentists has been highlighted by a health watchdog.

Healthwatch Southend said it was being approached by local people about access
"almost every day".

A new plan to improve services is being drawn up for NHS primary healthcare
services in the area where there is a £46.4m deficit.

"There are real issues at the current time," Healthwatch's chief officer, Owen
Richards, told the city council's Health and Wellbeing Board.

"GP access needs to be updated. There is a reference in there around a plan to
improve access to GPs, but there is a bit of gap in here for me on that because
that is something local people talk to us about almost every day - access to
services, general practice and dentistry."


'UNSUSTAINABLE POSITION'

The board was discussing the Mid and South Essex Joint Forward Plan, which has
highlighted a number of serious problems within primary healthcare services.



Mr Richards was also concerned that digital devices were excluding some
patients: "There is a lot of emphasis understandably about digital within the
report that will help a lot of people - it will not help others.

"There is something in the language we use in the system about improving access,
some of which could be through digital routes, but we almost seem to focus more
on the solution rather than the issue that there are problems of access at the
moment."

The council's director of public health, Krishna Ramkhelawon, said: "I think
it's imperative to remind ourselves that the local NHS are in an unsustainable
position financially and that is probably one of the driving forces in enabling
us to do things differently.

"Progress will be in prevention and some of the key issues highlighted here are
in conversation with colleagues in the NHS.

"Some of the broader work we are looking at driving in the background is looking
at investment in hospital services and reviewing our service restriction
policies and making sure it's doing what it should be doing within the resources
it has."



Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a
story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk




RELATED TOPICS

 * Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
 * Southend-on-Sea
 * NHS


MORE ON THIS STORY

 * Care at three hospitals has deteriorated says CQC
   
   Published
   3 days ago
   
   

 * Long A&E waiting times raised by councillor
   
   Published
   8 June
   
   

 * Old hospital demolished after 15 years spent empty
   
   Published
   19 April
   
   

 * Hospital nurse announces resignation on Twitter
   
   Published
   1 April
   
   

 * Hospital to immediately start £8m A&E upgrade
   
   Published
   26 January
   
   

 * Nurses leaving hospital due to 'toxic' conditions
   
   Published
   28 June 2022
   
   


RELATED INTERNET LINKS

 * Healthwatch Southend

 * Mid & South Essex Integrated Care System: Integrated Care Strategy

 * Southend-on-Sea City Council

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.



FROM OTHER LOCAL NEWS SITES

 * Dartford Crossing closures EVERY DAY this week – full diversion details
   
   External
   Maldon & Burnham Standard

 * Dartford Crossing closures EVERY DAY this week – full diversion details
   
   External
   Thurrock Gazette

 * Dartford Crossing closures EVERY DAY this week – full diversion details
   
   External
   Clacton, Frinton & Walton Gazette

 * Dartford Crossing closures EVERY DAY this week – full diversion details
   
   External
   Harwich and Manningtree Standard

 * Dartford Crossing closures EVERY DAY this week – full diversion details
   
   External
   Halstead Gazette

 * Dartford Crossing closures EVERY DAY this week – full diversion details
   
   External
   Braintree & Witham Times

Information about BBC links to other news sites



TOP STORIES

 * Live. 
   
   Ship with underwater capability arrives at missing sub scene

 * Watch: Inside Titanic sub before it went missing. VideoWatch: Inside Titanic
   sub before it went missing
   
   Published
   7 hours ago

 * Andrew Tate charged with rape and human trafficking
   
   Published
   1 hour ago





FEATURES

 * What it's like on board the Titanic tourist sub
   
   

 * What we know so far about the missing Titanic sub
   
   

 * Hunting the monkey torturers
   
   
 * 

 * Uganda school attack: I covered myself in blood to hide
   
   

 * Controversial land sale angers Jerusalem Armenians
   
   

 * Teenage Anglo-Saxon girl's face revealed
   
   

 * What did the King give Camilla? Our quickfire quiz...
   
   

 * Airbus experiments with more control for the autopilot
   
   

 * Why some Indian scholars are disowning books they wrote
   
   




ELSEWHERE ON THE BBC

 * Where tipping can be considered rude
   
   

 * The fading glamour of digital nomadism
   
   

 * Why are there mountains inside Earth?
   
   




MOST READ

 1.  1
     Andrew Tate charged with rape and human trafficking
 2.  2
     Global monkey torture ring exposed by BBC
 3.  3
     Police raid Paris 2024 Olympics organisers' office
 4.  4
     British father, his son and explorer among missing
 5.  5
     What we know so far about the missing Titanic sub
 6.  6
     Missing Titanic sub may have 70 hours of oxygen left
 7.  7
     Teenage Anglo-Saxon girl's face revealed
 8.  8
     A daytime nap is good for the brain
 9.  9
     Japan outrage as child sterilisations revealed
 10. 10
     What it's like on board the Titanic tourist sub





BBC NEWS SERVICES

 * On your mobile
 * On smart speakers
 * Get news alerts
 * Contact BBC News

 * Home
 * News
 * Sport
 * Reel
 * Worklife
 * Travel
 * Future
 * Culture
 * Music
 * TV
 * Weather
 * Sounds

 * Terms of Use
 * About the BBC
 * Privacy Policy
 * Cookies
 * Accessibility Help
 * Parental Guidance
 * Contact the BBC
 * Get Personalised Newsletters
 * Why you can trust the BBC
 * Advertise with us
 * Do not share or sell my info

© 2023 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read
about our approach to external linking.