Plymouth MP says health service 'faces collapse' without Super Health Hub funding
Luke Pollard is to confirm the scheme will not get the £41 million of funding planned for the Super Health Hub
Luke Pollard MP has today warned that Plymouth’s health service is “facing collapse”, after the Government backtracked on their promise fund a proposed Super Health Hub / Cavell Centre in the West End of Plymouth.
The Super Health Hub, a cross-party initiative, was expected to provide a home for new GP surgeries, dentistry, mental health, community and diagnostic services, including X-rays, all under a single roof in Colin Campbell Court.
Back in December, he said: "I want this to be the start of a new health village in the city centre" - well, now that could all be under threat.
It has now come to light that the Government has quietly pulled the £41 million of NHS funding for the project.
Luke has described Plymouth’s NHS as “at breaking point” despite the heroic effort of staff. Patients were reportedly waiting more than 24 hours in an ambulance in Plymouth, and patients were reported to be waiting on average over 9 hours before being either admitted, treated or discharged from Derriford Hospital.
Luke has organised a debate in Parliament on potential Super Health Hub in Plymouth City Centre where he will be calling on the Government to honour its commitment to fund the Health Hub.
The health centre would be based in Stonehouse, an area of Plymouth with the greatest health needs and lowest life expectancy in the city. Stonehouse accounts for approximately 20% of Derriford Hospital’s admissions and the new NHS facility was designed to improve access to health services and reduce the need for emergency admissions with early intervention and prevention.
The Super Health Hub project would be expected to generate significant financial benefits to the area, along with hopes that the investments generated by the Super Health Hub project would revitalise a part of the city centre that has not received much love in recent years.
Demolition of buildings along Western Approach for the Super Health Hub’s construction is currently underway.
Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said: “The Super Health Hub is Plymouth’s flagship health project to address the GP crisis. By bringing health to the high street the aim is to treat more people earlier, prevent illness and cut emergency admissions at Derriford.
“This project matters a great deal to me. I have been campaigning for a Super Health Hub in the city centre for years because I strongly believe the facility could be truly transformative for health in Plymouth.
“If the Cavell Centre project gets binned because Ministers have withdrawn the £41m of funding, the detrimental knock-on-effect this will have on our city’s health cannot be understated. Our city’s health GP service is facing collapse.
“People in Plymouth deserve better than a creaking health service. The Government cannot be allowed to deny us a project which could provide a lifeline for Plymouth’s health.”
Cllr Richard Bingley, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said: “The West End health and wellbeing hub would bring a massive range of benefits to people in Stonehouse – parts of which are in the top 1% of deprived areas in the country.
“The building and, most importantly, the new model of care it will deliver with integrated health and care services in one place, is a key development in addressing some of the vast health inequalities in the area.”
Cllr Mary Aspinall, Plymouth Labour’s spokesperson on Health, said: “I am absolutely shocked that the rug is being pulled from under this huge investment in our city which would provide about 3,000 appointments a day and employ 250 staff and we will fight it tooth and nail. People in Plymouth do not deserve to be treated this way.”