A START date for the construction of Corringham's new integrated medical centre of a site adjacent to Graham Jones Primary School.

And the executive director of the health trust behind it says it is hoped it will open its doors in the Spring of 2022.

The Corringham centre is one of four planned integrated medical hubs planned in the borough – which have been championed by Thurrock Council and, when open, will mean the closure of Orsett Hospital.

The start date of early 2021 in Corringham has been long awaited after it appeared the plans had been shelved for a period of time, with little information coming out of the local Clinical Commissioning Group, the council or Basildon and Thurrock Hospitals Trust (which has now been integrated into the wider Mid and South Essex Hospitals Trust.

Design work has been carried out for the planned centre in Tilbury but there has been little to no news of the centres planned for Purfleet and Grays. One of the centres will also have an urgent care facility but, again, no details have been announced.

The integrated centres plan, and particularly the closure of Orsett Hospital, has been widely controversial but NHS says it has teamed up with Thurrock Council, the voluntary sector and the local community to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the area by bringing community, social and health care services under one roof and closer to people's homes.

The NHS has added: "The new facilities will be staffed by NHS, council and community workers and volunteers who will work together to ensure the growing population in Thurrock receive better care, support and outcomes, now and in the future.

"The centres will provide a range of services including mental health, outpatient care and specialist clinical services. Not only will the new centres aim to improve waiting times to see a GP or specialist health professional, they will also reduce the number of people who have to attend or be admitted to hospital in an emergency."

The centre at Corringham, which is on the site of the former infants school and caretaker's house, is being funded by North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) which provides community care and mental health services for children and young people in Essex, Kent and London. It was granted planning permission in 2015 but work has stalled in the intervening five years.

Building work is being to be undertaken by the Neilcott Construction Group and will start early in 2021, with the centre due to open in spring 2022.

Stephanie Dawe, Executive Director of Integrated Care, NELFT, said: "We're delighted to soon be starting the building work for a new integrated medical centre for the people of Thurrock and particularly in Corringham.

"Our transformation programme in Thurrock really keeps the needs of the community at its heart and, by developing a new centre in Corringham, we're ensuring everyone in the area will have easy access to the healthcare and social services they need. Together with our health and social care and community partners, we're creating a 21st century facility that will provide a range of healthcare and support under one roof, including GPs, community-based healthcare and mental health care, and community services.

"Now more than ever the NHS needs to look at different - and better - ways of delivering care, and our NHS staff and health, social care and community teams will be able to provide better, more joined up care to local people in these new centres.

"Corringham IMC is being built close to Graham James School, so we have been and will continue to work closely with the local community, including the school, local businesses and GPs, to make sure this new facility meets the needs of the local area and the residents of Thurrock."

Cllr Alan Mayes, Cabinet member for health and air quality at Thurrock Council, said: "The last six months have demonstrated to all of us just how important public health is. The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown that we should take care of the entire communities' health needs to keep all of us safe and well.

"Thurrock Council and our partners remain committed to developing the IMCs to ensure that we have state of the art medical centres in the heart of the borough's communities and close to home.

"Engagement events will continue to be held with residents where each of the centres will be built and we'll also be offering residents a chance to help name the centres - more on that in the coming months."

Virtual engagement events will be held soon for the local community to find out more about the centres and ask questions to the organisations involved. To find out more information about the IMCs or the Better Care Together Thurrock programme, residents are advised to click here.

Related story: What's the future for Thurrock CCG?