NHS Gloucestershire Board members will consider Tewkesbury Project

27/11/2009

At their meeting on Thursday, NHS Gloucestershire Board members will discuss outline plans for the development of a new community hospital and primary care (GP) facility in Tewkesbury.

This includes bringing together the three existing GP surgeries in the Town (Jesmond House Medical Practice, Church Street Surgery and Watledge Surgery).

The aim is to improve the range and quality of services delivered locally and provide health services that are more joined up.

NHS Gloucestershire and local GPs want to provide more care locally where it is safe and appropriate to do so e.g. more services available in the patient’s own home and in GP surgeries and a wider range of hospital outpatient clinics.

The aim is also to reduce the length of time that people need to be in hospital. However, when inpatient services (beds) are needed they would be provided in modern, state of the art facilities supporting the highest standards of privacy and dignity.

The outline business case sets out plans for the hospital and includes access to minor injury and illness services, diagnostics (such as X-ray), a wide range of outpatient and day services, surgery and inpatient beds.

Also under the plans, health and social care teams would provide joined up services to support people within their own homes and in the community e.g. nursing and rehabilitation care.

Chief Executive of NHS Gloucestershire, Jan Stubbings said:

“Despite the wonderful work of NHS staff, the 2007 Summer Floods reinforced the need to ensure that local patients do not suffer unnecessary disruption when they need care and treatment.”

“At their meeting tomorrow, Board members will consider the outline business case and options to take services forward.”