A Local Care Network for Sutton - The Alternative to BHCH!!

Like a lot of people locally, I welcomed the idea of 3 Local Care Hospitals (preferably at St Helier, Wallington and Sutton General - though we know the PCT preferred North Cheam to Sutton General).

I did have one concern at the time and that was the 3 LCH would lead to a substantial reduction in GP surgeries as local services migrated to the LCH.

However, my support for the LCH has waned because:

1. BHCH was always an acute trust led project with the PCT running behind. I never once saw the PCT set out their vision for a LCH.

2. The Government has announced over £700 million for local community hospitals. It makes sense to sort out a local consensus soon and not wait for the failed BHCH project.

3. It makes more sense to develop instead a "Local Care Network" of Acute Trust, PCT and Local Authority sites. This is much more achievable as I set out below.

My alternative proposal is for the following sites and the following providers:

1. Critical Care Hospital at St Helier Hospital with a phased rebuild (run by the Epsom and St Helier Acute Trust).

2. A "Local Care Network" made up of the following sites:
a) The new Robin Hood Lane Clinic (GP led)
b) The Sutton General Local Care Hospital site (Acute Trust led)
c) Priory Clinic/Surgery/Malden Road Health and Leisure Centre (GP/PCT/Local Authority Partnership)
d) St Helier Hospital Local Care Unit - part of the phased rebuild St Helier Hospital (Acuter Trust led with local GPs)
e) Middleton Circle Local Care Unit (PCT/GP and Local Authority Partnership)
f) Walllington Shotfield Local Care Hospital (GP and Local Authority Partnership)

3. Intermediate Care at Carshalton War Memorial Hospital (joint PCT/local authority partnership). I have an issue about flogging off Ludlow Lodge and Franklin House to fund this, but lets at least have a debate.

The above proposals combined with sorting out integration of health and social care and the development of personalised budgets is a big agenda for the 2006-10 period, but I believe the above proposal is more likely to happen than the failed BHCH proposals for the following reasons:

1. A phased rebuild of St Helier has always been the easiest option as it required much less controversy and was less complicated in planning terms. Whilst I would like to see the "St Helier Gherkin" I don't think the money is available for the forseeable future.

2. The Local Care Network comprises 6 buildings which cover all 4 area committees. All the land is currently in NHS and local authority ownership and 3 of the sites (Middleton, Robin Hood and Shotfield) are new build of about to be built. The other 3 sites are large and have space for new build under the £700 million scheme. if the local NHS bids quick enough.

3. I suggest a range of partnerhsip providers which could also include some GP co-operatives and other forms of social enterprise, which should go down well whoever is in government.

In other words, we should get a move on to develop the overall scheme above for this borough.

In order to start it off, why doesn't Health Scrutiny kick things off with a scrutiny on "A vision for health care in Sutton by 2010"? This might concentrate minds.