THURROCK Council has published a list of the Thurrock surgeries that have failed to conduct any health checks on people with learning disabilities.
The controversial issue is on the agenda at the Health and Well Being committee tonight (Tuesday) with councillors expected to demands answers from health bosses.
For a number of years now, Thurrock has languished at the bottom of the league when it comes to the health checks.
A number of advocates for people with learning disabilities have questioned whether a number of deaths can be attributed to a failure to obtain an annual health check.
Ironically, one of the advocates for annual health checks was Tilbury man, Liam Coffey who passed away in his thirties due to cancer. However, it must be stressed the there is no evidence to link Liam’s death with a lack of an annual health check.
GPs revise a payment from the NHS to provide checks. They only get the money if the check is done. However, YT understands that the NHS cannot channel the money elsewhere.
But in a bold move, Thurrock Council has published a list of GPs who have failed to do any checks at all.
According to the figures only 17% of all health checks took place. As you can see this figure was boosted by a surgery such as the Darenth Lane Centre in South Ockendon carrying out 96% of all checks.
This compares with 61% in Southend, 51% in Castle Point and 41% in West Essex.
The council has also published a second list that indicates that as of November 2015, only 3% of health checks for people with learning disabilities had been undertaken.
