NHS bosses have been criticised for slow progress on revamping a stretched NHS facility in Erith that is leaving patients “short-changed.”

The cramped and out-dated urgent care centre at Erith Hospital is working at full capacity, and concerns have been raised that it is unable to meet increasing demand.

NHS bosses launched a review last year following concerns the site is operating at a “critical level” – with patients resorting to prising doors open when the unit is full and closed.

Doors have been closing two hours early because so many patients are wanting care.

MORE Erith urgent care centre: Calls to move NHS unit backed

Councillors were told by the clinical commissioning group – the body that oversees local NHS facilities – at a meeting in October that patients were being forced to sit on the floor because the waiting room is so packed.

Initially it was thought the centre would close and move, but at a meeting on July 2, NHS bosses said that short term fixes to the UCC to keep it at Erith Hospital had been agreed.

At the same time a long-term vision for medical facilities in the north of Bexley was being developed to deal with growth pressures.

Councillors were critical over what they said was slow progress and “sticking plaster” fixes.

Sidcup councillor Richard Diment said: “I am sort of baffled by what is going on. We were told last year emphatically there was an urgent crisis – here we are nine months on and I haven’t heard what has actually been done to improve the patient experience.”

A completely new service for the north of the borough is hoped to be designed by 2020, according to the CCG, meaning the facility could be moved in a few years’ time.

It is now proposing to add an additional clinical room, move a corridor, add iPads to consult patients and to decorate the urgent care centre.

CCG bosses said they had been communicating with the council over their plans, saying they were responding to feedback from staff.

MORE Landlady reacts to her Bromley boozer being named as one of the UK's best

Neil Kennet Brown, the director of the CCG, said: “I took a review when I came into the post in January. One key question for me was whether we had fully explored the possibilities within the hospital.

“From talking to staff there it was clear they did not want to move. It was quite clear for me the building wasn’t being fully utilised. The urgent care centre is one end of the building, at the other end there is a lot of spare space.

“One of the first things we did was to work with the landlords, Oxleas, to reutilise the existing footprint. It is off the back of that that we are doing a short-term investment.

“The move of the building we expect to take place in 2020.”

Cllr Alan Downing, chairman of the scrutiny panel, criticised the trust further, saying the saga has rumbled on for too long.

He said: “This seems to have dragged on. It’s not only just not fit for purpose, it’s been there for many years.

“Here we have Crossrail coming, over 4,000 new residents to turn up and we can’t offer them a health centre, it really is very bad. There has been ample time for the trust to get organised.”

Cabinet member for housing, Alex Sawyer, added: “With all due respect our residents are being short-changed. We are hearing about the things that are coming but that does diddly squat for now. Can I urge more communication.”