Southend families could be forced to travel more than 20 miles to see relatives recovering from strokes amid a raft of proposed changes to care.

Proposals put forward by Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust propose a shake-up to Cumberlege Intermediate Care Centre in Rochford.

The unit currently has 14 stroke rehab beds to help victims who are not in a serious condition but cannot be sent home.

It also has eight intermediate care beds where patients go as a halfway house between leaving hospital and returning home.

Two options have been put forward.

Option A would see the centre have no stroke beds but 22 intermediate care beds.

Option B would be the reverse with 22 stroke beds and no intermediate care beds.

If option A were to go ahead all stroke beds would move to Brentwood.

A consultation is now under way to get residents’ views.

Southend Stroke Club, which has been working to support people in the aftermath of strokes for 46 years, has voiced concerns about the proposals.

Chair, Ann Holland, 71, said: “Putting everyone in one area might be better but I would have to be reassured. Not everyone has a car and victims need to be seen by their family.

“Where I live in Southend, we have a bus every two hours and there are no buses on Sunday to get to Southend, let alone Brentwood.

“When you have had a stroke you want to see your loved ones, it is a really strong part of the healing process.

“In the aftermath of a stroke, you wouldn’t recognise people and when have that aftercare, when you are recovering, you would want that family presence.

Kay Mitchell, speaking on behalf of the Save Southend NHS campaign group, said: “For Southend, which is our focus, the two proposals for rehabilitation mean Rochford will either have stroke rehab or intermediate care rehab.

“Neither proposal gives Southend both.

“The ever-present question remains from residents about family and friends visiting when the patient most needs their support for greater recovery success. This has been acknowledged but is without a solution.

“It seems both units in Rochford and Brentwood have the equipment to deliver stroke rehabilitation, so the question may be more about how staffing will happen at both units, than care in modern better equipped facilities.”