Plans to expand area’s health services due to influx of new homes
HEALTH chiefs are pushing forward with plans to expand services in two Derby suburbs where mass housebuilding is stretching local GPs.
The Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group is aiming to boost services in Mickleover and Mackworth in a bid to support an incoming colossal influx in new patients as a result of housing developments.
It says it has taken on the services of consultancy firm Turner and Townsend, which started talking to GPs in the area last month and is being tasked on working up options to boost services in both suburbs.
This will include discussing potential sites and the possibility of new buildings in the area.
At this stage no options have been drawn up, says the CCG, with a report on the needs of the areas and ideas for the best solutions due in late November.
It says it will also start a “conversation” with local residents about their health service needs.
The CCG said in a report to be discussed by Derby City Council next week: “Planned housing developments, on the western side of the place alliance, i.e. within the Mickleover, Mackworth, Markeaton and Littleover catchment area, would provide a significant capacity challenge for primary care service provision… which may require a new build solution.
“The combined housing developments at Mickleover, Mackworth, Littleover, Markeaton and Allestree are currently projected to add around 16,400 new patients to registered lists with just under half of those patients expected in the first five years.
“This growth will impact on GP practices with premises or branch surgeries in Mickleover and Mackworth and on some Derby city centre surgeries whose premises are at capacity and have branch practices which serve the housing growth areas.
“Mickleover and Mackworth are jointly the highest priority areas for primary care estates development in Derbyshire.
“A feasibility study was completed in October 2020, in anticipation of the outcome of the strategy, confirmed that additional primary care capacity is needed in both Mickleover and Mackworth.”
In January, the Local Democracy Reporting Service told how Mickleover, Mackworth, Chellaston, Alvaston and South Derbyshire, as well as Derby, were the areas which had been made a priority for new GP surgeries by health chiefs.
Clive Newman, director of GP development at the CCG had said the area south of Derby is the part of the county “under the most pressure” for house-building with “a town the size of Belper” being planned with 20,000 more people set to come to the area.
He had said a new surgery or health centre would cost in the region of £150 million to build and run and that contributions from developers were never going to be enough to fund one alone.
In April, the LDRS shared the news that plans were under way for a new super health centre in Sinfin, called a Cavell Centre.
Joined Up Care Derbyshire, a combination of all health and social care organisations in the county, had submitted a bid for funding.
The proposed new super centre would cater for between 25,000 and 150,000 patients in the county.
The aim for the new centres is to bring health and social care services together in one building as a form of one-stop-shop for patients.