Braintree MP Brooks Newmark has played down concerns over the future of Braintree Community Hospital.

Serco, which has managed the hospital in Chadwick Drive since 2011, released a statement to the London Stock Exchange about a fortnight ago, revealing its intention to cut short its contract with Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

It said financial results for the contract for the year to December 31 would show an operating loss of £2million, while it would also have to cover estimated future losses of £3million.

The contract had been due to run until March 2015, but Serco issued notice to end it three months early, in December next year.

Valerie Michie, managing director of Serco’s healthcare business, and Chris Green, chairman of the Friends of Braintree Community Hospital, both said the decision followed problems getting enough patients through the door.

Mr Green, who insisted the friends group would fight “tooth and nail” to ensure the hospital remained, but admitted he worried about what could be done by any other company to make the hospital more profitable.

But Braintree MP Brooks Newmark, who, along with the friends group and The Times, was involved in campaigning for the hospital to be built, insists there will be plenty of interest from companies in taking over the contract.

He said: “I believe there are other organisations out there whose niche is health care who can make the hospital work very successfully.”