Health boss’s update on former bottling plant site earmarked for Buxton’s new hospital

The former Buxton Water site which was bought with the intention of becoming a new £20 health hub for Buxton. Photo Jason Chadwick

In 2018 Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust bought land on the old Buxton Water bottling site on Station Road.

Since then plans for a new £20m health hub were drawn up and approved by High Peak Borough Council to build a new hospital bringing all the local health care providers under one roof.

In 2021, Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, submitted an expression of interest to the Government’s New Hospital Programme for funding for the scheme. However, it was announced on Friday May, 26 that the funding bid was unsuccessful.

Since then the hospital have remained quiet on the future plans for the 3.5-acre site near Buxton railway station.

Now Jim Austin, spokesperson for Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, has given an update on the Trust’s plans for the future of the site.

He said: “We continue to work with partners on the Buxton Stakeholder Steering Group to look for opportunities which may arise to take forward the development of health services in Buxton.

“It follows the previously well documented announcement by the Government last June that the Buxton New Hospitals’ Programme expression of interest had been unsuccessful.

“Given that there is no central funding available we continue to scan for any suitable funding opportunities that may arise.”

Had the government bid have been successful the health hub would have brought together Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, Derbyshire County Council, High Peak Borough Council, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Buxton Medical Practice, Stewart Medical Centre, Elmwood Medical Centre, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, DHU Health Care and Blythe House Hospicecare.

Local GP Dr Tom Miller from Buxton Medical Practice says he was ambivalent about the plans for the hospital.

He said: “If the new hospital and health hub went ahead it would have been good for the town but we have car parking facilities here which we would have lost at the health hub so that would have been a negative for us.”