The Hockley Residents Association website has an uodate about the dental situation there. The full article is here and it seems that many Hockley patients will be displaced to Rayleigh:
…. The possible loss of capacity is also very concerning, given that Hockley already has amongst the lowest NHS capacity in the SEE area and we would not want to see children having to travel to see a dentist. The PCT have told us that they have arranged temporary cover for the displaced patients in Rayleigh. The HRA is very concerned at people, especially the young and old, having to travel to Rayleigh when most areas only have one us an hour. It will also mean another temporary dentist (the 2nd in succession for many people) for an unknown period. We have expressed our concerns to the PCT.
The HRA have been very quick off the block to report this- we can’t see anything on the District Council Website about it. Trouble is, the portfolio holder for “Health” also has to cover “Young Persons, Adult Services, Community Care & Well-being and Community Safety”. It’s a heavy load for one person with no deputy, but that’s the way that the Rochford cabinet system ‘works’.
The first of many cuts I fear for the whole of Rochford District which was already getting far less of the improvement funding pot than Southend. The Cabinet and Portfolio Holder clearly needs to act and this would be a good place to start.
This really is not acceptable and whilst the focus of this article is on Hockley because the HRA has taken a lead over many years on this issue, please remember that Hawkwell is equally affected. And other places in Rochford District might be next.
I trust that Andrew Pike, CEO of the PCT, will resist the temptation to tell Hawkwell that it would have a dentist if it would agree to an additional 330 dwellings in Hawkwell !!
I have published the Press Release made by the dentist themselves on my web site at http://rochfordessex.com with a request for all residents in Hockley/Hawkwell to follow my lead and send an email to Andrew Pike in protest.
If he hears from enough people he might listen but he has clearly failed to hear the comments of RDC Members, Doctors and residents at the Central Area Committee objecting to the PCT failing to spend our fair share of budget raised from taxes in Rochford District and favouring Southend instead which has far more dentists and other direct services.