Fewer cancelled operations are being promised as part of the radical shake-up of healthcare services in south Essex.

The Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership, which has already backtracked on plans to downgrade two south Essex A&Es in favour of a specialist emergency department at Basildon Hospital, is set to reveal alternate plans by the end of this month - or the beginning of November.

Meanwhile, the partnership has confirmed that Southend, Basildon and Broomfield Hospitals will all keep a 24/7 blue light emergency department.

The consultation will cover a whole range of hospital and community services.

Under the plans, most hospital care will be available at all three hospitals in mid and south Essex, including new ways of providing emergency services to help more people get the care they need, faster at the hospital front door.

All three hospitals will continue to provide tests and treatments in outpatients and day surgeries.

Specialised and complex services should be concentrated in one place, where this would improve patient care and the outcome of treatment, such as improving the chances of survival and a good recovery.

In an update ahead of the consultation, the partnership also said: “It is proposed that some planned operations that require a stay in hospital should be separated from emergency patients, where this would improve care quality efficiency for patients such as fewer cancelled operations and shorter waiting times.

“It is proposed that some hospital services should over time be transferred, along with funding, to new services in the community run by GP partnerships and other health and care services.”

Specialised services are proposed including complex respiratory services and renal services.