£1.4m funding could see return of plans for new Shipston Medical Centre
A NEW medical centre could be back on the agenda for Shipston after the scheme was given more than £1.4 million.
The new Shipston Medical Centre formed a central part of proposals to redevelop part of the Ellen Badger Hospital site, on Stratford Road, into a healthcare hub.
Plans were approved which would have moved GP services into a new building on a site where there would also be outpatient services, treatment rooms, specialist nurses and other health professionals, including Shipston Home Nursing.
However, Shipston Medical Centre withdrew from the scheme last summer, blaming spiralling costs – the £4.5m project was said to have increased by 50 per cent.
But the scheme, a partnership with South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, could be back on. Or not. No one is really sure – or at least willing to commit publicly.
Plans for the site are still not clear – despite the fact that Stratford District Council has made more than £1.4m of developers’ money available towards the cost.
Cllr Jo Barker (Cons, Shipston South), who is the district council’s portfolio holder for homes, health and wellbeing, is confident that the money from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is intended for what it says it’s intended – “a new GP practice on the site of the Ellen Badger Hospital”.
According to Rachel Vial, manager of Shipston Medical Centre, the scheme has only ever been on pause.
Given that there’s been agitated talk about the building on the site of “a hospital with no beds” and general confusion over exactly what is planned for Shipston, exasperation over the town’s future medical facilities is reaching bursting point.
In an attempt to try to cut through the confusion the Herald first contacted SWFT. Did they know what was happening?
A spokeswoman responded: “The trust is continuing to work closely with Shipston Medical Centre and Coventry and Warwickshire’s Integrated Care Board to progress the ambition of an integrated healthcare facility for the communities of Shipston and surrounding villages.
“All parties are keen to explore all options available to progress this but for more specific information about their plans, you will need to speak to Shipston Medical Centre and the ICB.”
A spokesman for the ICB told us: “We were pleased to hear about the funding which has been made available from Stratford District Council. The ICB continues to work with local partners to explore various options for primary care provision in Shipston, including the original proposal, and we remain committed to ensuring the people of Shipston have access to the primary care services they need.”
The NHS managers involved in this continuing uncertainty over the future of health service provision in Shipston were branded as people who “shouldn’t be in charge of the proverbial whelk stall”.
The accusation was made by Prof Bryan Stoten, chairman of the League of Friends of Shipston Hospitals. He added: “We (the League of Friends) never wanted to do anything other than redevelop a 19th community hospital with modern adaptations. The sheer difficulty of accessing primary care in Shipston makes it appear fairly irrelevant.
“All that is needed is to ‘get on with the job - the ‘job’ being to refresh the hospital. The rest is pointless.”
Campaigner Carole Gibbs said: “From statements given recently by SWFT, the ICB and Medical Centre, it appears that they are still ‘exploring various options’ regarding healthcare for Shipston.
“Given that the original promise in 2018 was to build a new hospital to replace the Victorian one, now demolished, it is depressing to learn we are still no further forward.
“This, despite Section 106 and more recently CIL money (from developers of all new build housing) being handed out to SWFT by Stratford DC as well as money from the League of Friends – all for the sole purpose of developing healthcare services for the residents of Shipston. It’s shameful.”
