04.12.17
New Basingstoke hospital plans scrapped after CCG meeting
Plans to build a new critical treatment hospital in Basingstoke have been scrapped after a meeting of Hampshire CCGs found it was unaffordable.
The new facility was part of plans to improve the health and social care system in Hampshire and create a more joined-up approach across hospital services, community, primary and social care.
In a meeting last week, West Hampshire CCG, North Hampshire CCG and Hampshire Hospitals NHS FT discussed a number of options for aiding this approach but found that building a new hospital would not be financially viable “given the financial challenges facing the local NHS.”
A statement from both CCGs explained: “A detailed appraisal of options concluded that, compared to the current position, all of them would offer better clinical services and some would offer improved access to services and have a positive impact on the workforce.
“However, it also ruled out a large number of them, including the trust’s proposal for developing a critical treatment hospital on a new site.
“The appraisal concluded that the critical treatment centre was not affordable, given the financial challenges facing the local NHS.
“Therefore, the recommendation to the two CCG Boards is that it is not appropriate at this time to proceed to formal consultation on a future configuration of acute services for the people of north and mid Hampshire.”
The announcement means the CCGs, along with Hampshire Hospitals trust, will look for other methods to centralise services in Andover, Winchester and Basingstoke.
Another option which involved developing services on Basingstoke and North Hampshire hospital sites was said to require further efficiencies and work.
Despite the setback, Dr Sarah Schofield, chair of West Hampshire CCG said the group would still focus on moving care out of hospitals.
“While around 80% of patient care and treatment in the north and mid-Hampshire area takes place outside hospital, under current arrangements over half of the money spent on the NHS in the area goes on providing care in hospital for patients who need short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery,” she explained.
Dr Nicola Decker, chair of North Hampshire CCG, agreed: “Our local population is growing, getting older and has changing health needs. This means a different sort of care in future to what has been provided in the past.
“The local NHS’s vision is for more joined-up local health and social care services providing more personalised care outside of hospital. Our community and hospital health and social care workforce needs to be more proactive in the care we are offering our population.
“Working together we can prevent many of the crises that often occur in the emergency department, making these services available for people who really need them. This approach is already making a difference in neighbouring areas.”
Top image: Andrew Matthews PA Archive
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an NHE columnist? If so, click here.