ANGRY Thurrock councillors say they have been “lied to and conned” after it was officially announced two health care centres promised seven years ago would not now go ahead.

At a Thurrock health and wellbeing board meeting on Thursday, a call was made for a public inquiry after Aleksandra Mecan, Thurrock alliance director, Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board, confirmed the NHS have “formally rejected the business cases” for Purfleet and Tilbury Integrated Medical Centres (IMCs).

An IMC at Grays was reliant on the closure of Orsett Hospital and the sale of the land but that will now stay open to cope with primary health care demand. Only one centre at Corringham has actually been delivered despite years of planning and promises.

Mark Hooper, chairman of the committee, said: “I can’t say how disappointed I am to hear this news. This has been planned for seven years and we are not getting the integrated medical centres originally planned.

“I think people need to be held to account. We’ve been lied to, misled, conned and Orsett Hospital is in a really sad state of repairs, which is unacceptable. Politicians said these centres would be delivered but the people of Thurrock have been lied to.”

Councillors heard healthcare teams would continue looking to provide a range of services in “void” buildings around the borough but Orsett Hospital needs a £4million upgrade to bring it up to a safe standard and there was concern over where the money would come from.

Neil Speight, Independent councillor for Stanford-le-Hope West said he was “incandescent” that the scheme, for years lauded by the NHS and politicians, including former health minister Jeremy Hunt, had been dropped.

He said: “We have to have an inquest into what has gone on. It’s a massive failure and an example of politicians lying to the people of Thurrock. I think as a council we should be calling for public inquiry into what has gone on.

“Orsett Hospital is high risk and to get rid of that risk it’s going to cost £4.118million.

“We know that Orsett Hospital is still going to be functioning in four to five years so at the very least the NHS or the Government, by way of an apology to the people of Thurrock, is to write a cheque for £4.118million so those high risk problems can be fixed.”