Doubts over £25 million new hospital start date

MORE news on the future of West Somerset’s planned new £25 million hospital could be revealed at a board meeting of the Somerset Primary Care Trust on February 21.
Although the trust has said it hoped the hospital could be open by the summer of 2009, the board will hear that it could be up to five years before work even starts.
And even though Government funding has been secured for the capital element of the hospital, the trust has yet to confirm it can fund the revenue side - the day-to-day running costs - of the scheme.
Minehead is one of three new community hospital projects planned by the trust in the next five years, the others being in Bridgwater and South Petherton.
The programme will run alongside an investment in a new cancer centre and surgical facilities at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton.
The new Minehead hospital will have only 20 inpatient beds as against the 34 in the present wards – 28 of which are medical beds and the other six surgical.
There will also be a clinical assessment unit for urgent care, expanded diagnostic and outpatient services, a drop-in treatment centre, and a patient support centre.
The hospital will be part of a larger, £32 million multi-agency development off Seaward Way, Minehead, called ‘New Horizons’.
Somerset PCT chief executive Ian Tipney said ahead of the board meeting: “These proposals represent a very exciting and ambitious future for community hospital services in Somerset.
“They are exactly in line with the new models of care set out in the White Paper ‘Our Health, Our Care, Our Say’ last year, enabling more people to access services in their local community.
“The new hospitals will work in a very different way, with fewer beds than we have generally had in the past, but with more patients using the services.
“This will be achieved by increased staffing levels, more intensive rehabilitation, expanded diagnostic facilities, outpatient services, and one-stop shop clinics.
“The proposals will obviously be subject to detailed scrutiny, but we are giving a very clear service direction over the next five years.”
The trust board is being recommended that all three community hospital developments should go ahead within the next five years.

Government promises £24.5 million for new West Somerset hospital

THE Health Minister, Lord Warner, has today (Thursday, December 21) announced a £750 million fund for new community hospitals and NHS services which includes a new hospital for West Somerset.
The £24.5 million hospital in Minehead is being planned on a site off Seaward Way in a partnership with West Somerset Council and other agencies.
The partnership, called New Horizons, recently submitted a planning application for the development which also includes a new swimming pool, leisure facilities, business support services, and housing for local people.
The new Minehead hospital will have 20 beds and include a new diagnostic centre and day theatre, as well as new dental facilities and urgent care unit.
It is set to be fully operational from late 2009.
Lord Warner said the Minehead hospital would be one of the first to be provided by the new funding package.
The fund was intended to allow NHS patients to have minor operations closer to their homes and to receive medical tests and follow-up care outside of large hospitals.
The money will be made available to the newly-created Somerset Primary Care Trust, which has recently been reviewing the business cases for several new community hospitals planned in the county.
They had been under threat due to lack of PCT funds and a Government formula which said Somerset should only have five community hospitals against the present 13.
However, Lord Warner said: “A modern health service needs a significant amount of care provided in state-of-the-art community hospitals.
“This model of care suits peoples’ daily lives and will help many patients maintain their independence.
“Today’s funding underlines our commitment to the future of community hospitals and shows our desire to replace outdated and unsuitable buildings with modern facilities fit for the future.
"These new NHS facilities will turn our “White Paper proposals for more care closer to home into reality for thousands of patients.
“This is just the first group of new hospitals and there will be more throughout 2007 as we invest £750 million in similar schemes over the next five years.”
Community Hospitals Association chief executive Barbara Moore said: “We are delighted to hear news of the first communities to benefit from funding to modernise and extend the services available from upgraded or new community hospitals.
“Many people will be very relieved that the future of their community facilities is now secured. We look forward to seeing this repeated in many other areas.”
Lord Warner also announced today that the Department of Health has completed a deal to become sole owner of Partnerships for Health (PfH), the public private partnership set up to encourage investment in GP premises and health centres.
The deal will assist the implementation of the community hospital programme.
NHS patients should benefit from a more focused delivery of the community hospital programme, as the Department will be able to use the skills within PfH to support community ventures.
Lord Warner said: “Gaining sole ownership of Partnerships for Health is good news for patients and the NHS in the long-term.
“This deal gives us access to the skilled and experienced people needed to take forward our plans for a new generation of NHS community hospitals.
“Patients will benefit from the continued delivery of these community hospitals, while the deal will also help ensure that the new PCTs can hit the ground running as they take forward the ongoing NHS LIFT programme.”

• Our photograph shows Health Minister Lord Warner. Photo submitted.