'Stop dithering and build our new health centre' urge councillors
The NHS is being asked why work still hasn't started on building a new city centre health hub in Plymouth
Last updated 1st Mar 2023
Devon's NHS says it's 'disappointed' money has still not been set aside to create a new health centre in Plymouth.
The Labour and Conservative leaders have issued a joint message saying the council's done all it can - and urged health bosses to stop 'dithering and get the West End Health hub built before the fixed price from the contractor expires'.
A spokesperson for NHS Devon said: “We have always been clear that the Cavell Centre would only go ahead if it got funding from a national source and the council was fully aware of this when it made decisions to spend money on the project.
“The NHS in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay will overspend by nearly £50 million this year, and next year is likely to be even more challenging.
“We too are disappointed that national funding has not been found but we continue to explore ways forward with Plymouth City Council.”
The hub is due to be built in Stonehouse, which is one of the most deprived wards in the south west.
Life expectancy is 7.5 years lower than the national average; health outcomes are poorer; more cardiovascular and heart disease are found in younger people than elsewhere.
Emergency department attendances are 18 per cent higher than the Plymouth average, diabetes is 16 per cent higher and alcohol related acute admissions are 6.9 per 1000 population, compared to the Plymouth average of 1.9 out of 1000. Overall, the city has significantly worse performance than the rest of England.
Council leader Richard Bingley and Leader of the Opposition Councillor Tudor Evans OBE have written a joint letter to the chair of Devon’s Integrated Care System, Sarah Wollaston, urging them to get on with the build of the scheme which would be a game changer for the health and wellbeing of Plymouth residents.
Councillor Richard Bingley said: “Our city of Plymouth has massive health service delivery issues and we need to proceed to building the West End Health Hub.
“We know finances are tight but have looked at the figures and are prepared to take out a loan to pay for the build, if NHS Devon can pay it back.
“We are in this strange situation where the Council has done everything it possibly can to make this project happen. The full business case has been approved, it’s got full planning permission, we’ve cleared the site and have secured five dentist chairs with confirmed funding from NHS England.
“We fully understand the need for NHS Devon to balance its books but we firmly believe that a failure to fund this now is counterintuitive – saving pennies and wasting pounds.
“Health prevention and early intervention has to be at the heart of tackling the systemic problems in the NHS and the health hub is critical to turning this around.”
The facility was intended to form a key part of a strategy to help address Plymouth’s long standing health inequalities, support a pressurised primary care system, improve prevention and out of hospital services and reduce pressure on Derriford Hospital.
Councillor Tudor Evans said: “We know of areas in Devon where the need is less, yet funding is available to them – is NHS Devon favouring those who know how to use the system and leaving behind those who don’t or won’t?
There are people of Plymouth who cannot get a GP appointment, who cannot get an NHS dentist and who are being put at unnecessary risk due to the lack of patient care and prevention services.
“Over to you NHS Devon. We know there are demands across the region – but this Devon’s biggest city, it is home to the largest hospital which is stretched beyond belief with no relief in sight.
“There’s too much dithering, drift and delay, we are on a fixed build price from the contractor – but there is a deadline. We have an answer right here, ready to go.”
There remains significant health disparities with the city’s Public Health grant allocation 74th out of 152 areas, despite being ranked 52nd most deprived.
The two council group leaders have warned 'Plymouth lost out on a significant amount of funding when the primary care governance was overhauled and the Primary Care Trust merged with the Clinical Commissioning Group.
'As a result it has been acknowledged and agreed that Plymouth would receive further funding of £15 million. To date only £5m has been received. The Council is currently pushing for full disclosure on the status of the fair shares money'.