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Hutton announces plans for more super surgeries

  • Published date:
    29 June 2004

Trusts invited to bid for new LIFT schemes

More super surgeries will open across the country under new plans announced today by Health Minister, John Hutton.

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are being invited to bid for new one stop health centres for their local communities. The new surgeries will be funded under the LIFT programme.

NHS LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust)  is a public-private partnership which will pump £1 billion of private investment into primary care.

More PCTs are being invited to bid so the LIFT programme can be extended to more parts of the country, encouraging new developments in primary care.  The bids could result in an estimated additional investment of between £150m and £225m in primary care premises.

The first 'super surgery' is expected to open this September in Newham, East London. It will bring GP's, health visitors, dentists, a pharmacy, a cardiology clinic, X-ray facilities, optometry services, Surestart and a healthy living cafe under one roof.  Twenty other LIFT health centres are currently under construction and work should begin on another thirty projects by the end of this year.

John Hutton said:

"The new centres will provide some of the most modern and up-to facilites anywhere in the country. This is concrete evidence that the extra investment in the NHS is making a real difference on the ground.

"LIFT schemes bring together all the major players in the local health economy - PCT's, Local Authorities, GP's, other health professionals and the private sector.

"The LIFT schemes already underway have pushed out the boundaries of local heath care but this time round I want PCT's to think in even broader terms and consider including other clinical services such as diagnostics and out of hours care.

"Nine in 10 NHS patients get their treatment in primary care which is why it's important that treatment takes place in the most modern facilities the NHS can provide.  This is what LIFT can achieve - modernising primary care facilities throughout the country."

Dr Sam Everington, a Director of Partnerships for Health the joint venture company established to deliver the LIFT schemes and a practising East London GP said:

"For too long we have had to suffer with poor doctor's surgeries, inadequate facilities and a shortage of health care professionals. NHS LIFT represents a huge opportunity to deliver a step-change in the way we deliver local health services through delivering greater choice and access to the people that matter most: the patients."

Brian Johns, Chief Executive for Partnerships for Health said:

"The public and private sectors have responded enthusiastically to the first 3 waves of LIFT, and I am expecting a healthy response to this announcement today. I have been privileged to see many of the plans for the new LIFT buildings, and they are genuinely inspiring. I am convinced we are on the threshold of one of the biggest changes in the delivery of NHS services and I am delighted that Partnerships for Health will be playing such a pivotal role."

Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities will be expected to submit detailed and robust plans. They will have to demonstrate good clinical buy-in and ensure that their investment proposals are strategic and meet local requirements.  Applications should be submitted the Department of Health by mid September and the successful applicants are expected to be announced in November.

Notes to editor

1. The NHS Plan outlined NHS LIFT as a vehicle to invest money into primary care premises throughout the country to help reduce waiting times for GPs. LIFT will also provide integrated primary care premises which can provide a range of primary care services from one site.

2. In February 2001 the Government announced the first wave of 6 Local Improvement Finance Trusts focusing on the deprived inner city areas.  They are Newcastle and North Tyneside, Barnsley, Manchester, Salford and Trafford, Sandwell, Camden and Islington and East London.

In January 2002 12 second wave schemes were announced.  They are Barking and Havering, Birmingham and Solihull, Bradford, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Coventry, East Lancashire, Hull, Leicester, Liverpool and Sefton, Medway, North Staffordshire, and Redbridge and Waltham Forest.

In August 2002 a further 24 schemes were announced.  They are: Ashfield, Ashton, Leigh and Wigan, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey, Brent and Harrow, Bristol, Bromley Bexley and Greenwich, Colchester and Tendring, Derby, Doncaster, Dudley, Ealing Hammersmith and Hounslow, East Hampshire and Fareham and Gosport, Gedling, Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, Leeds, Norfolk, Oldham, Oxford, Plymouth, South East Sheffield, South West London, St Helens, Knowsley and Warrington, Tees Valley and Wolverhampton.

3. Case study of a closed scheme:

Located in the heart of the West Midlands, the Sandwell scheme reached financial close in January 2004. There are 5 first tranche schemes valued at £18 million.  They are:

OLDBURY HEALTH CENTRE
Albert Street, Oldbury
Cost: around £4 million

The new development for Oldbury and Smethwick Primary Care Trust  will be a purpose-built facility accommodating services from the current health centre and expanding and adding to them to provide a holistic approach to health care. The range of services that will be available at the new centre include:

  • Space for two general practices
  • Comprehensive community services including:
  • Chiropody
  • District nursing
  • Health visiting
  • Mental health
  • Physiotherapy
  • Other primary care services
  • Space for a pharmacy
  • Provision for members of the primary care mental health team. This will include:
  • Accommodation for office staff
  • Facilities for meeting clients
  • Room for counselling with both individuals and groups

The new facilities will include provision for part of the relocated Birmingham Dental School.  This will include:

  • A general dental surgery
  • Accommodation for six training cubicles
  • Space for community dental services in two surgeries
  • Office space

The new facility will also include space for a skills lab and a training room for use by and the training of staff working in the community.

WHITEHEATH HEALTH CENTRE
Badsey Road, Oldbury
Cost: around £1.5 million

The Whiteheath Primary Care Centre will be a purpose-built facility accommodating community healthcare services and one GP practice. It will replace Whiteheath Clinic in Shelsley Asvenue, Oldbury. The current community nursing services will be extended to enable a broader range to be offered, including a number of therapy services.

The development is expected to enable more integrated provision of primary healthcare services currently provided at Whiteheath Clinic, so that local people receive a co-ordinated pattern of services that are delivered to meet their needs. 

The range of services to be provided from the centre will include:

  • One general practice
  • A counselling service provided by Black Country Mental Health Trust
  • One to one appointments with the Citizens Advice Bureau
  • Midwifery (ante-natal clinic)
  • A range of clinics provided by the practice nurses that include:
  • Asthma
  • Diabetes
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Cervical screening
  • Travel injections
  • Lifestyle clinics
  • Immunisations
  • Podiatry
  • Contraceptive advice
  • Minor surgery
  • Blood tests

Rowley Regis and Tipton Primary Care Trust is keen to offer the opportunity to locate other primary care services on the site, such as an optician.

BIRMINGHAM ROAD HEALTH CENTRE
Birmingham Road, West Bromwich
Cost: around £1.8 million

The new development for Wednesbury and West Bromwich Primary Care Trust will be the Birmingham Road Health Centre, due for completion by 2004. The development will provide space for three GPs and their primary care staff as well as a number of other health services and facilities.

Services to be provided at Birmingham Road will include:

  • Space for three general practices and their staff
  • Space for a counseling and advice service for people with mental health problems
  • Nurse-led clinics for:
  • Diabetes
  • Leg ulcers
  • Children and baby clinics
  • Space for health promoting activities such as drop-in clinics for young people
  • Chiropody services
  • Minor surgery procedures
  • Out-patients clinics that are currently held in hospitals
  • A pharmacy

Significant proposals for the development also include space for the Citizens Advice Bureau and rooms available for use by community groups and organisations.

LEASOWES HEALTH CENTRE
Cost: £3.5 million
Size: 2,000 sq m

Details: The development, for Oldbury and Smethwick Primary care Trust (PCT), will be a new primary care centre housing:

  • 3 GP practices

  • a base for community services such as health visiting; school nurses; district nurses; mental health; speech and language therapy and dietetics

  • a pharmacy

An Oldbury and Smethwick PCT spokesperson said: 'This will be a 'holistic' centre bringing a whole range of services together under one roof for the benefit of the local

YEW TREE ESTATE HEALTH CENTRE
Cost: £2.5 million
Size: 1,500 sq m

Details: The development, for Wednesbury and West Bromwich PCT, will be a new centre housing:

  • 2 GP practices
  • a base for community services (as above)
  • space to develop more new services

Yew Tree Healthy Living Centre - a new home for the centre, currently in Redwood Road. It runs baby clinics; baby and toddler playgroups; infant hearing tests; gentle exercise classes for the elderly; pensions advice; basic computer and internet lessons and fitness groups

4. Media enquiries to Jennifer Wheatley on 020 7210 5230.  Public and general enquiries to 020 7210 4850.

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