Buxton health development – update
Hoped-for funding from the Government’s New Hospital Programme to redevelop health and community facilities in Buxton has been put into doubt with the announcement yesterday of the prioritised schemes to go forward.
A bid for Buxton redevelopment funding was submitted in 2021, led by Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, to take forward an ambitious redevelopment of health and community services in the town centre.
Yesterday (25 May 2023), secretary of state for health Steve Barclay announced the priority schemes to receive funding in cohorts 1 – 4 of the New Hospital Programme Health and Social Care Secretary Oral Statement on NHP - GOV.UK. Buxton is not included in cohorts 1 – 4 and attention now turns to consideration, by health and community services leaders within High Peak, for securing the best possible future for public service facilities in Buxton.
Jim Austin, chief information and transformation officer for Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s disappointing that our business case for the development of a new, 7,593m2 health facility in Buxton has not been included in the Government’s New Hospital Programme.
“Had we been successful, it would have provided the necessary up-front multi-million-pound funding to push ahead with our ambitious scheme of combining health and social care services from 11 different providers under one roof and provide a truly joined-up experience for the citizens of Buxton and the High Peak in Derbyshire.
“But we move on from this. Our commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of our community remains unwavering. We will strive to ensure we deliver the very best services to meet the evolving care needs of the people of Buxton and the wider communities across Derby and Derbyshire.
“Our focus, and that of our health and social care partners and local leaders, will now need to shift towards seeking clarity to understand what additional funding avenues and opportunities are available to us. We understand the importance of providing safe and effective healthcare services, and we will embark upon the challenging task of upgrading and maintaining our existing facilities to meet the needs of our patients and colleagues within the very tight financial constraints that affect us all.
“We have a strong track record of successfully delivering capital projects. We are halfway through a new development in Bakewell and are awaiting final planning permission for a new building in Belper. This demonstrates our commitment to improving our facilities and providing high-quality care for local people.”
Background
In January 2018, Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust purchased a 3.5-acre site at the former Buxton Water plant. Outline planning consent was subsequently granted by High Peak Borough Council for the development of a community hub of health and other public/community service facilities.
In February 2020, just before the Covid pandemic struck, the outline business case for the proposed new development was shared with 11 partner organisations – from across the public, charitable and health sectors – who had expressed interest in joining the proposed development.
In 2021, Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, submitted an expression of interest to the Government’s New Hospital Programme for funding for the scheme. The announcement this week of the outcome of this unsuccessful bid requires a re-think of next steps, in consultation with all the original partners.
The full list of partner organisations included: Derbyshire County Council, High Peak Borough Council, Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Buxton Medical Practice, Stewart Medical Centre, Elmwood Medical Centre, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, DHU Health Care and Blythe House Hospice.