AFTER a lengthy exchange of questions and some convoluted answers about responsibility, Thurrock Nub News has established that a temporary closure of a facility at Thurrock Community Hospital that took place on Monday (9 March) was because of a deep clean operation in the wake of a possible coronavirus contact.

On Monday patients who turned up at the site on Long Lane in Grays to receive physiotherapy were turned away.

They were informed by staff it was a precautionary measure.

Thurrock Nub News attempted to get an explanation from the Basildon & Thurrock Hospital Trust (BTHT) which operates much of the site. Initially we were told "All NHS enquiries for COVID-19 are being dealt with via the NHSE Regional team."

That is based in Leeds and we contacted them - and are still waiting for a reply!

After 24 hours BTHT did come back to us to say there had been no closures. However, that was probably because we phrased the question poorly and had referred to Basildon Community Hospital, rather than specifically Thurrock.

Eventually the question was qualified as specific to Thurrock but the Trust then referred us to North East London Foundation Trust, which also operates medical procedures on the site.

The London Trust told us: "This particular query is one for the Thurrock Clinical Commissioning group (CCG) rather than us."

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Today (Wednesday, 11 March) the CCG, which had also previously said the main source of information should be the regional NHS press, confirmed what had happened at the community hospital.

A statement says: "One building on Thurrock Community Hospital site was temporarily closed on the Monday, 9 March in the morning to enable a deep clean of the facility as a routine precautionary measure.

"The building reopened on the same morning and patients will be advised of their rearranged appointments.

"We apologise for any inconvenience that may have been caused. For any help and advice on coronavirus, people can use the new 111 online service."

Thurrock Nub News editor Neil Speight said: "It is unfortunate that getting the correct information took so long, though part of the problem was undoubtedly my mistake in referring to the community hospital as a. 'Basildon' facility - probably me preempting what is to come for Thurrock's health services with all the proposed mergers!

"The hospital's press office have explained they are short-handed, over-worked and are relatively inexperienced - which smacks of the cost-cutting imposed there - but it is worrying that getting correct and prompt information to the public from people with local awareness and knowledge appears not to be a priority.

"To be fair, Thurrock CCG, as it did yesterday with information regarding Thurrock Health Centre's closure in Grays, were helpful and informative in a timely manner.

"We all got there in the end!"

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