Multi Million Pound Boost for Health Schemes

18/12/2007

Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust today welcomed news of a major funding boost to support the development of community health schemes in the North Cotswolds and Berkeley Vale areas.

In the North Cotswolds, the Department of Health has confirmed it will provide £13.2million for the development of health and social care campuses in Bourton-on-the-Water and Moreton-in-Marsh. The funding comes from the £750 million community hospitals fund.

The capital funding means that proposals to increase the levels of community-based services and treatment can become a reality for the local community.

The developments will mean new outpatient departments in both Bourton and Moreton, which will provide 9,000 patients the opportunity to be treated locally, saving thousand of miles of travel across the county for people in the area. The PCT will now progress the business case to the next stage which will include selecting sites and submitting planning applications.

At Bourton, as well as improved outpatient facilities, there will be intermediate care beds and rehabilitation services to help with the transition from hospital to home and a new base for the local health and social care team to help them work with patients locally, including in their homes.

In Moreton, the new campus will incorporate replacements for the White House and Mann Cottage Surgeries. The plans also include new x-ray and diagnostic facilities, along with a new Minor Injury Unit; inpatient beds; outpatients and minor surgery; and space for visiting mobile services.

The PCT will continue to work closely with community partners and local health and social care staff to complete the detailed planning of the new facilities. It is anticipated the new facilities will be open in 2010.

Local GP, Dr Chris Moreton from White House Surgery in Moreton-in-Marsh said:

“The new facilities will be extremely beneficial to patients in the North Cotswolds. Providing a range of health services in local communities means that more people can be cared for and treated closer to home. As GPs we welcome the announcement and this continuing commitment to locally provided services. We look forward to working with the PCT to develop the plans.”

The NHS locally has already begun to introduce changes to the way services are provided to patients across the North Cotswolds. Bourton is specialising in rehabilitation services including support to patients in their recovery from periods of serious illness and operations, while care for patients in the North Cotswolds who require a higher level of medical care and treatment is available at Moreton. This focus will continue with the new campuses.

Plans for a new health and social care campus for the Berkeley Vale area have also been given a significant funding boost. The Department of Health has confirmed it will provide £6.44million towards the development of the facility in Dursley. 

The capital funding means that plans to bring together services currently located in three different places (Berkeley Hospital; Sandpits Clinic, Cam; and Symn Lane Clinic, Wotton-under-Edge) into one new purpose built facility can become a reality for the local community.

The new facility will be developed close to the main centre of population in the locality with greater accessibility from other nearby towns. The plans received broad public support following consultation last year.

The PCT will continue to work closely with local health and social care staff and the local community to complete the detailed planning of the new facilities. Work will begin on obtaining planning permissions and confirming the site. It is hoped that the new facility will open in spring 2011. Berkeley Hospital and the other clinics will not be closed until new facilities are in place.

The new campus will include a Minor Injury Unit; an Intermediate Care Unit to bridge the gap between hospital and home; a radiology suite with x-ray, ultrasound and provision for mobile services; out patient services, including treatment facilities for minor surgery; and a dental suite for community dentistry. It will also provide a new GP surgery for the expanding local population.

Local GP, Dr Simon Opher from May Lane surgery in Dursley said:

“Providing healthcare facilities in one purpose built campus will be extremely beneficial to local patients. Localising care and treatment where possible and minimising the number of miles that patients travel is a positive way forward and will enable us to help more people in their own communities. I look forward to working in partnership with the PCT and the community to further develop these services.”

The NHS has already started to introduce a number of changes to services locally. This includes the development of more intermediate care locally and the phased introduction of additional outpatient services.

Commenting on the schemes, Chief Executive, Jan Stubbings said:

“The PCT is committed to community health facilities. This funding will enable us to take forward our proposals for new healthcare facilities in Bourton, Moreton and Dursley that meet the needs of our local communities. These are the first of our proposed developments to increase the provision of community facilities for patients in Gloucestershire.”

The PCT is looking to improve patient care facilities across Gloucestershire and is in the early planning stages for community facilities in a number of areas.

The PCT is also working with GPs around the county to develop new surgeries to serve our growing population. Eleven new GP surgeries have been earmarked for redevelopment to provide primary care accommodation for the 21st century.

Click here for Berkeley Vale Community Involvement News December 2007

Click here for North Cotswold Community Involvement News December 2007