Ascot Medical Centre and Green Meadows Surgery will both be co-locating to Brook House, at Heatherwood Hospital, which offers a modern and fully refurbished building. The move is expected to take place in early spring 2021.
The new premises at Brook House, Heatherwood Hospital, forms part of the wider Ascot Plan which is to modernise primary and community care for local residents over the coming years and continue to improve on the health outcomes for local people.
The co-location is essential to reducing patients’ admission to hospital, improving care coordination, providing care closer to patients, and increasing self-management with patients and carers. It would not be possible to provide this kind of integrated care in the current Ascot primary care premises.
Reason for change | Benefit of co-locating the two practices |
|---|---|
Demand on services which is set to increase further as the local population is set to increase between now and 2038 | The new premises offer capacity for population growth and modern fit for purpose facilities to best care for our patients. There will be enhanced access to shared planned pathways and early diagnosis, resulting in better outcomes for patients |
Current premises for both practices are not suitable in the medium term to sustain services and accommodate the growing population:
| Moving to the new premises together will enable multiple professional teams to work together. Having larger rooms within the facility will also provide space for multi professional input to patients, and carer’s care plans developed to support those with multiple long-term conditions and frailty. Breakdown of area based on the current number of registered patients as follows: Green Meadows: 9 Consultations/Examination rooms Ascot Medical Centre 6 Consultation/examination rooms 4 treatment rooms 1 minor ops room 1 group therapy room 2 community rooms (e.g.for use by social prescribing, Health Visitors, Midwife etc.) Both sites will enable the delivery of additional services such as clinical pharmacists, social prescribing, paramedics, physiotherapists, mental health coordinators and talking therapies. The development at Heatherwood would open up the possibilities for access to complimentary diagnostic services for the registered population |
Both premises, Green Meadows Surgery and Ascot Medical Centre are currently not compliant with current recommended standard of Health Building Regulations | The new facilities will ensure treatments and consultation rooms are suitable for all patients and meet criteria outlined in HBNs (Health Building Notes) DD (Disability Discrimination Act), which is a requirement for all new build primary care premises. Purpose build facility focusing on: • Good access for patients with good natural light, modern environment creating positive space for all and wider corridors to improve access and patient experience • Excellent facilities for practice teams to provide care and work closer together across the developing multi skilled teams • Designed around infection control requirements, specifically from the lessons learnt through the COVID pandemic |
Pressures on staffing and the inability to train additional staff as there is a national shortage of GPs and over 20% of GPs in the Ascot area are aged over 55 and are due to retire in the next ten years. | Existing staff will benefit from all modern facilities, with an opportunity to share and develop their skills between the practices and other associated services. The new facility will support recruitment and retention of staff with purpose-built facilities and positive designed in line with excellent infection control. The proximity of the hospital to develop a flexible workforce model offering rotational placements and enhanced career development for health and care professionals. |
