Health bosses have ended a contract with the company that runs services at Braintree’s newest hospital after just one year.

NHS Mid Essex has given 12 months notice to Braintree Clinical Services Limited (BCSL), which signed a five-year contract last January to run the £20m Braintree Community Hospital.

Chief executive Sheila Bremner said a review of more than 2,400 outpatient cases revealed that 60 patients had waited longer for treatment than the national standard of 18 weeks from seeing their GP.

Outpatients and day surgery took time to set up and reviews last October and November identified administrative problems for day surgery and the system for referring patients for further investigation and treatment.

BCSL was unavailable for comment.

See full story in this week's Braintree and Witham Times.