A new “super-stroke unit” is among a series of big changes planned for health care in south and mid Essex.

The proposed changes would kick in over the next two to five years and include the establishment of a specialist centre, known as a “hyper-acute stroke unit”.

This would be in addition to the existing stroke care services at all three hospitals – Southend, Basildon and Broomfield.

CT scans and the start of treatment for a stroke would be available at the nearest hospital.

Then, if patients were diagnosed as having had a stroke they would be transferred to the proposed new specialist hyper-acute stroke unit for up to 72 hours of high dependency care and rehabilitation, before being transferred back to their local hospital, or home with further care and support.

A collaboration across the three hospitals would maximise skills to treat people in the crucial first 72 hours – and create a strong network of stroke services across the three hospitals with links to other stroke specialists.

Health chiefs have so far not revealed which of the three hospitals will have the hyper acute stroke unit.

Subject to the approval – by the Joint Committee of clinical commissioning groups – the plans go out to public consultation at the end of this month.

Dr Celia Skinner, chief medical officer for all three hospitals, said: “Our proposals aim to bring together some specialist services, for the times where we need very specialist emergency care or a planned overnight operation.

“We estimate the proposed new arrangements would mean that around 15 emergency patients and 15 planned operations per day would be go to a different hospital for a few days; but the benefit is that a larger team would be able to provide immediate specialist treatment and help you to make a quick recovery.

Read more: Hyper acute stroke units ‘do work well’

“All our A&Es would continue to receive ambulances and remain open to walk in patients.

“Patients would continue to have their tests, outpatient appointments, day case operations and maternity services at their local hospital, the same as they do today.”

The clinical commissioning groups will also ask for views on changes to A&E services and stroke units at Southend, Broomfield and Basildon hospitals.

Proposals for a specialist emergency care centre in Basildon and the downgrading of emergency departments at the remaining hospitals have been scrapped altogether following a sustained campaign against the proposals. The latest plans would mean people would continue to have access to A&E, tests, outpatients, day case surgery and maternity services as they do now at their local hospital, alongside critical care and the vast majority of overnight emergency care.

In a small number of cases some emergency and planned patients may be transferred to new specialist centres with greater consultant cover.

These proposals are based on clinical evidence and best practice from elsewhere across the country.

Just under 1,000 people a day currently attend the three A&E departments on average.

It is estimated that around 15 patients a day would transfer to another hospital for specialist emergency care as a result of the proposals.