Team Lopez – Julia has welcomed the consultation on the planning application for the new Health and Wellbeing Hub on the former St George’s Hospital site.
This project is critical to delivering integrated community healthcare in the future and reducing pressure on Queen’s Hospital.
Constituents may be aware that Julia has been campaigning for a new healthcare centre since her election in 2017. The Prime Minister announced an extra £1.8 billion capital fund for the NHS in 2019 and Julia was delighted when he pledged 20 hospital projects, of which St George’s health hub is one.
The East London Health & Care Partnership’s strategic objectives focus on meeting the current and future wellbeing, primary care, community and social care needs of the local population. The Hub will provide GP services to residents living within a two-mile radius and a range of community and specialist services, including renal clinics, frailty, dermatology, minor ops, as well as there being space available for SEN groups.
The Hub will serve the local area for some GP services, the south of Havering for mental health and community services, and the whole of Havering with specialist services.
The Director of Estates shared some projected images of what the site will look like, which are at the top of this article. Julia was pleased to hear that there will be community and voluntary management of the green spaces outside of the health centre, which will include old and new trees as well as a wetland area. The past year has shown us how it is easy take the green spaces around us for granted, and with the significant impact natural spaces have on mental health, Julia is happy that the grounds around the centre will be incorporating this.
The St George’s site will help deliver the strategic objectives set out by the ELHCP. Julia is keen that this centre is built as swiftly as possible in order to alleviate pressures on Queen’s and improve integrated community healthcare in the borough.
There was a previous planning application for a healthcare development on the same site, for 3,000 sqm, which was granted in June 2020. However, after submission of that application, a review of the implications of the NHS Long Term Plan concluded that further services should be included and these could not be accommodated in the application that was approved last year.
The additional services will bring significant benefit to the local community, improving access and reducing waiting times. Consequently, a new planning application has had to be prepared and will be submitted in due course. The revised scheme will accommodate the services that are needed to serve the community of South Hornchurch and Havering. It will have more flexibility to offer new services in the future, as local needs change.
This consultation is part of the formal planning application process and is open until Tuesday 16 April.
Julia encourages constituents to submit their views using the online form which can be found here: https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/st-georges-health-and-wellbeing-hub
Alternatively, constituents can fill in the forms on the booklet attached to this article and post back to: Freepost Plus RUCG-BXKR-GGYY, North East London NHS Foundation, CEME, Marsh Way, Rainham, RM13 8GQ
A public consultation on the wide range of services proposed to be located at the Wellbeing Hub will follow the planning application consultation.