A REHAB centre launched at Clacton Hospital last year will be axed in April after just six months.

The Durban Rehabilitation Centre, which has space for 15 patients, only opened in November.

It was part of a six-month trial designed to help ease the soaring demand on hospital beds at Colchester General Hospital.

It saw patients in Tendring and Colchester, mostly aged over 65, moved to the centre to recover until they were well enough to go home in a bid to prevent bed-blocking in acute hospital wards.

But the unit is now to close with Essex County Council stepping in to provide alternative services. The authority has yet to spell out what services it will provide.

A source, who did not want to be named, said: “There are up to around 15 staff members who will be affected by the closure and they are all deeply shocked and upset.

“I dread to think the amount of money used to set up this ward and now wasted.”

But Sam Hepplewhite, of the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), defended the move.

She said: “The Durban Rehabilitation Centre at Clacton Hospital offers high-quality rehabilitation to people from Colchester and Tendring who might otherwise face real problems in getting back to good health in their own home.

“In the spring, we will stop providing the service, as our six-month planned interim arrangement will come to an end.

“An alternative reablement service will be provided within north east Essex by Essex County Council who will purchase 15 beds.”

The new county-run service is set to start in May. A county council spokesman said the authority was unable to provide further details.