Big lift for planned new Healthcare Centre

Work has begun on the new Hampshire Healthcare Centre (Basingstoke) which will open soon on the site of Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital.

The new Centre will be housed in a modular accommodation unit, components of which were lifted on site by a 125 tonne crane on Saturday October 31.

When the new Healthcare Centre opens later this year, local residents, commuters and visitors in north Hampshire will benefit from a range of medical and dental services with extended hours opening from 8am to 8pm (8:30am to 6:30pm on bank holidays), seven days a week.

The medical service will be provided by Assura Hampshire Health, a partnership between 13 local GP practices and Assura, a leading healthcare provider, and the dental services will be provided by Dr Sharma, an established provider of dental services in Hampshire.  Contracts with Assura and Dr Sharma were signed last month by NHS Hampshire.

The hospital site was chosen as it has excellent transport links. Patients will be able to access a wide range of health services for either registered or non-registered patients.  Patients can pre-book appointments as well as being able to ask if they can be seen on the same day.

The list of services available will also include vaccinations and immunisations, contraceptive services, cervical screening, maternity medical services, minor surgery and stop smoking services. The Healthcare Centre will also provide pre-bookable and on the day dental appointments.

From its opening later this year, the service expects to develop a registered GP patient list of 1,000 in year one increasing to 3,000 by year five. Non-registered patients seen by the medical service are anticipated to be 40,000 in the first year rising to 50,000 in the second.

The dental team is expected to see 8,000 patients through the same day service.

ENDS

Press enquiries regarding Assura Group to:

Andrew McKeon, AJM Public Relations. Tel: 01423 734 560; Mobile: 07802 484 155

Louise Bathersby, Assura Group. Tel: 020 7107 3830

• Notes to editors


• Assura Hampshire Health is a local clinical services organisation that is a joint venture partnership between 13 local GP practices and Assura, a specialist healthcare provider. It is a local organisation which was set up by 70 local GPs and Assura to provide community based services which offer patients additional choice. Hampshire Health is owned 50:50 by the GP practices and Assura and is run by a clinical management board (CMB) which comprises four local GPs, a business director and an Assura representative. The CMB is responsible for all clinical matters.


• Assura provides all the necessary support in the way of funding, service and commercial expertise, IT, business processes and additional resources. Hampshire Health is run by local doctors for local people and currently provides an MSK, Community Gynaecology and Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Service in the community.


• Dr Sharma runs existing dental services within Hampshire and will manage the new NHS dental contract from within the new Healthcare Centre site.

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The new Centre will be housed in a modular accommodation unit, components of which are shown being lifted on site by a 125 tonne crane.