Extra NHS cash promised in the budget will be used to help extra operations take place at Braintree Community Hospital.

The Mid and South Essex Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) was granted a cash boost in Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s autumn budget.

Once finalised, the STP will be investing the funding in things like new operating theatres, improvements to its computer systems and more inpatient beds.

In Braintree, some of the money will potentially be used to assist the transition of Braintree Community Hospital’s Courtauld Ward into a centre for orthopaedic operations for Mid Essex patients.

Claire Panniker, chief executive of the hospitals, welcomed the funding.

She said: “Although we are still working through all of the detail this could represent the most significant investment into mid and south Essex for almost a decade and we are delighted. This is an important step in the work we have been doing to develop proposals to secure and improve the care we provide for our population in the future.

“It will help us to improve the quality of the facilities in which we care for patients, helping to bring clinical areas up to modern standards.”

A detailed business case for the future of NHS services in the area will be considered by board members from five clinical commissioning groups later this year.

Mrs Panniker said: “It is exciting news but does not mean the decision on services has been made.

“There is still a lot of work to do, including the full public consultation where our communities will again have the opportunity to tell us their views to help us build a model of hospital care which provides the very best outcomes for local people.”