NHS bosses have promised that the strength of public opposition to axing minor injuries units will be taken on board before a decision is made on the future of services.

An eight-week public consultation over units at Clacton and Dovercourt hospitals and Colchester's walk-in centre ends on March 1.

Hundreds of people have attended a series of public meetings across the area to hear the proposals.

There are three options on the table - keep the services as they are, close all three or set up a new minor injury service, with bases in Tendring and Colchester.

Clinical commissioning group chief Sam Hepplewhite said: “We have had a fantastic response to our engagement exercise and are grateful to everyone who has taken the time and effort to attend our engagement events or complete our questionnaire.

"We remain absolutely committed to true and meaningful engagement and this has been demonstrated over the past seven and a half weeks.

“While the board will make a final decision on the future of these services, I can report that the approach to close all three units is the least favoured option from the feedback we have received to date.

"This will be taken into careful consideration – along with other issues such as future affordability and clinical need – before our board make its final decision at the end of May."

Responses to the public consultation received after the March 1 deadline will not be considered.

Marches against cuts to services are taking place in both Clacton and Harwich tomorrow morning.