Latest on the plans for a new £20million health hub in Buxton

The scheme has been in development for several years and High Peak MP Robert Largan recently met with the new health secretary, Steve Barclay, to champion the bid for a new multi-million pound health hub on the former Buxton Water site on Station Road.

He said: “He only took office on October 25 and I have already met with and made a case for our new hospital.”

The Government has pledged to build 40 new hospitals across the country by 2030.

In October 2021 the Government named 32 hospitals which would receive funding and called for NHS trusts to submit expressions of interest to be one of the remaining eight sites.

Eleven health partners from across Derbyshire then submitted a bid to be one of the eight new sites.

Rebecca Beedie, media manager for Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We submitted a bid for funding for the Buxton health project to the Government’s New Hospitals Programme in 2021 when applications were invited.

"We have yet to hear the outcome of that application.

“The 11 partners who are aligned to the Buxton project remain the same as in 2019 when preparation of the outline business case was underway. They are: 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 Hospice.

"While we await a decision by the Government on funding, and until we see what any allocation might provide in the current economic climate, it is too soon to put any detail into timings or what the final detailed business case could look like.”

The pledge for new hospitals nationwide was a key Conservative commitment in the 2019 general election campaign. Mr Largan says he is doing all he can to make Buxton a favourable site for the new health secretary.

He said: “We need to improve health access in Buxton.

"What we have now doesn’t serve the people in the best way it can. The current sites are old and in different locations.

"I am pushing ahead and championing the bid as it would make such a positive difference to the lives of people in the High Peak.

"I have made sure this issue is on the health secretary’s radar and that he understands the benefits it would bring having all the services under one roof rather than spread out across the town.

"I think it is important that although no decisions have been made that the health secretary and the people of Buxton and the High Peak know we are still wanting this and doing all we can do ensure the plans become a reality.”

The site has been vacant since 2012, with previous plans for retail and hotel accommodation not coming to fruition. In early 2016 talks resumed about building a new hospital on the site.

A three-and-a-half acre site has been purchased by the trust for £1.8m and outline planning permission has already been granted by High Peak Borough Council.

Should the funding bid be successful the new site will accommodate services currently provided by the town’s two existing hospitals including the X-ray unit, minor injuries unit, the eight elderly rehabilitation beds from Fenton Ward currently at the Cavendish Hospital and the community mental health team. It will also incorporate services from Stewart Medical Centre, Elmwood Medical Practice and Buxton Medical Practice.

The Dementia Rapid Response Team will also be based at the new integrated site including both the Derbyshire Dales and High Peak teams.

All people employed across the various sites will transfer across, and as soon as the accommodation for each facility is complete they will move in.

Graham Chipp, director of the North Derbyshire GP Federation and business manager at Stewart Medical Centre said: “This is a potentially a marvellous opportunity for Buxton and the High Peak to realise the benefits of working together across health systems but progress seems to have stalled since the pandemic.

"The current pressures on our service are so intense that our own efforts to drive this forward are limited.”

Shane O’Reilly, chief executive officer at Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust, added: ‘We are grateful to be involved in this innovative healthcare partnership project and excited about what the prospects mean for local patients with life-limiting illnesses.”Our community has geographical challenges, which means people have to travel some distances for care and support.”If this project comes to fruition, we can ensure that care is close to home and that the local community remains self-reliant.”

McCarthy and Stone have already secured full planning consent for a retirement home development on the remainder of the site and work is progressing well.

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