Campaigners strip naked to protest Maldon hospital closure

Save Maldon's Medical Services says its area needs more health centres to deal with a rising population

A group of women stripped naked in an online video to protest the proposed closure of a hospital.

Seventeen members from the Save Maldon's Medical Services campaign covered their bodies with placards to raise their concerns over changes to local healthcare arrangements.

St Peter's Hospital in Maldon could close under new plans to relocate services.

The NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) said it was committed to making sure key services stay local where possible.

Save Maldon's Medical Services has also taken to the streets to encourage people to give their views in the public consultation

The short video was posted on the group's social media pages on Tuesday.

Together, the signs read: "How dare you strip us bare of medical services, we need our St Peter's to remain open forever."

Michelle Olley, a retired NHS manager from Tiptree, said the group members chose to go nude because they felt their services were being "stripped bare".

The ICB is proposing to move intermediate care, stroke rehabilitation and a birthing unit away from the 150-year-old hospital.

A public consultation remains open until Thursday.

Michelle Olley is one of three women who leads the campaign group

Jo Phillips gave birth to her daughter at the hospital. She said it was a "disgrace" that Maldon could lose its facilities and called for more local services to be available in the future.

Kerry Williams, who also features in the video, said the plans would leave residents in the rural area of east Essex with a three-hour journey to get treatment.

Dr Matthew Sweeting, medical director at the ICB, said no final decisions had been made.

The board has previously said it will cost £18.7m to fix the problems at the hospital, which has experienced a leaking roof, weak flooring and broken lifts in recent years.

Dr Sweeting added that the organisation is committed to working with local people to develop the plans.