Healthcare village gets £20m boost
Outwoods plan backed by government cash
A NEW “healthcare village” near Burton’s hospital is to receive more than £20 million Government funding in a deal hailed as “excellent for patients and the local population”.
A number of old hospital buildings will be flattened to make way for the Outwoods development, opposite Queen’s Hospital, with facilities including a nursery, GP surgery and residential accommodation.
There will be a central hub, including a café and apartments for hospital workers.
Earlier this year planning permission was granted by East Staffordshire Borough Council and work could go ahead by 2021.
A £21.88 million grant of capital funding from the Department of Health and Social Care has now been awarded, it has been revealed.
The whole project is expected to cost around £50 million, say hospital bosses. Partner organisations will manage some of the facilities.
There are many unused buildings on the land, which have been described as being “of poor quality and in need of renovation”.
Duncan Bedford, the managing director for the Burton hospital, said: “This is excellent news for our patients and local population.
“The healthcare village is an adventurous proposal, using an innovative approach to provide care in the community.
“It will be so much more than buildings; we aim to nurture a community that brings together people of all ages, addressing some of the issues that society faces, such as social isolation.”
The plan was submitted by STRIDE, a joint project between University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust and Health Innovation Partners, who manage some estate-related services for the NHS.
Simon Whitehouse is director of Staffordshire STP Together We’re Better, an NHS group which looks to transform health services across the county. He said: “The announcement of this funding is very welcome and will enable us to transform the way care is delivered.
“The health and care campus at Outwoods will realise a key priority for Together We’re Better, utilising NHS estate to its fullest potential, whilst integrating health and care services to benefit the population we serve.
“This is an approach that we want to see developed across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.”
One building on the far end of the Outwoods site will become a clinical staff unit, providing 88 apartments with beds.
Workers, including nurses and students looking to go to the hospital to train and learn, will be able to access accommodation.
The second building is a “stepdown” facility, which bosses have previously said will help to relieve strain on the hospital from patients who no longer need to be in their care but still need some help.
An extra-care facility, running along the far right side of the site, will be built to support patients who are well enough not to be in residential services or a care home but still need some assistance.
The fourth building will be a 40-bed care home, which could be either nursing or residential.
“The Hub” will be the fifth building – and potentially one of the most important in the development, according to bosses.
There will be a cafeteria, possibly a restaurant, offices and rooms for people and community groups to hire.
Building number six will house a primary care hub, which will include a GP practice and pharmacy, with access by the main hospital site.
A 100-space nursery will also be built, to replace the one on site at Queen’s Hospital. It will be primarily for hospital staff to leave their youngsters.