An investigation is underway after a council blunder gave health bosses one month to review the controversial decision to close the Sun Street surgery in Waltham Abbey.

The surgery was closed by NHS West Essex on July 1 after long-serving Dr Lakha was taken ill.

Many of his 2,600 patients, who are elderly and seriously ill, were outraged that the PCT did not consult them before closing the practice.

Many were concerned that there would not be enough medical support for the towns growing population, and had fears over increased waiting times at other surgeries in the town.

They asked the PCT to keep the surgery open with two popular locum doctors, but the PCT refused, saying they would not reivew the closure plans.

A letter was sent from the PCT to Essex County Council's health overview scrutiny committee(HOSC), but an admin error meant that officers were not copied in on the letter so were left unaware of the situation.

Sent at the peak of county council election time, the letter was not reviewed until days before the surgery was due to close.

Essex County Councillor Liz Webster, who was recently appointed the chairwoman of the West Essex Forum said the decision had been handled "disgracefully"

She said: "The first thing I knew about the situation was when I was contacted by a patient.

The time factor is crucial because under normal circumstances they (HOSC) would have deliberated on it. I understand that the usual process is that patients are informed at least 90 days before the closure date."

"I wrote to the chairman to ask him to keep the surgery open with the two locums for six months, just to allow those patients on long term medication to find another surgery or to adjust to the situation."

"The first meeting of HOSC was last wednesday and the surgery was already closed and the two locums have found work somewhere else."

"I spoke to the chief officer who looked into the legality of the PCT's decision, and chief executive Aiden Thomas was called in to give evidence, but it's a bit like closing the door after the horse has bolted."

She questioned the timing of the PCT's letter saying:"We must keep in mind that there are legal issues with the building, but that still does not get away from the fact that the PCT must have been aware of Dr Lakha's situation at least two weeks before writing to patients."

She added: "i'm very disillusioned with the way this was done. I think the whole thing has been handled disgracefully."

"It's going to be referred back to the West Essex Forum , we can't change what has happened but we can try to lessen the impact on the people of Waltham Abbey."

"we can watch to see how the surgery's closure affects them, and if mnore doctors are needed that is something we can recommend."

Mrs Kim Ashley, who helped organise the campaign to save the surgery said: "That's outrageous, but my initial reacton is that's what we've come to expect.

"Because we're on the edge of the district Waltham Abbey gets forgotten about- as for those people that were too busy campaining to do their jobs, I hope they didn't get in."

"I've been to other surgeries in the area this week and they're all really under the cosh because so many Sun Street patients are trying to see a doctor."

"I'm disgusted by the whole thing."

The West Essex Health forum will be holding a public meeting about the surgery in Ongar on July 15.

Further details of the meeting will be confirmed later this week.