Crucial ‘Health on the High Street’ plan being revised following new national NHS plan
Plans to bring NHS services to the heart of Doncaster city centre will be revised after a new “national direction” was set out in the Government’s recent 10-year health plan.
The ‘Health on the High Street’ scheme will see both Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (DBTH) and Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Trust (RDaSH) set up clinics in an unused unit in Waterdale.
Mayor Ros Jones’ cabinet approved plans to sub-lease ‘The Village’ retail unit to DBTH and RDaSH before May’s local elections, however, the scheme is yet to materialise and its progress remains slow.
Now, in a joint statement, DBTH, RDaSH and the City of Doncaster Council have confirmed there will be further delay, as they revise the plans and consider an “updated proposal”.
The statement, provided to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), said: “Bringing health services to the high street and making them more accessible is still very much part of Team Doncaster’s plans for the future in the city.
“The Government’s 10 year Health Plan for England ‘Fit for the Future’ published last month has given a fresh focus on transforming local NHS services with one of the key elements being to shift more services into the community.
“With this in mind and with the support of health partners, we are refreshing what this could mean for Doncaster helping to integrate health services more and considering an updated proposal for the site in Waterdale in light of this national direction.
“Each NHS partner is considering what this could look like for them and considering what the Government plan means for us collectively in the context of neighbourhood health.
“We are now working on our new plans and more details will be announced in due course.”
Doncaster Council will be keen to keep the project on track, as Health on the High Street is a necessary part of its plans to revitalise the city centre.
The LDRS understands that without it, the authority would not be able to take the land freehold.
The news that plans will be revised comes after a Health and Social Care overview and scrutiny panel meeting in June, in which Dan Swaine, executive director of place at the council, said there would be an update “within a month or so”.