Frustration as Holbeach Health Hub is shelved and alternative is branded ‘sticking plaster’ by South Holland District Council leader Nick Worth
A hub which had promised to provide vital health care services for a growing town has been shelved by bosses.
Plans for a new Holbeach Health Hub will not present ‘value for money’ Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) has told South Holland District Council leader, Nick Worth - who has branded the alternative plan as a ‘sticking plaster’.
With more than 900 homes being earmarked on the Holbeach Meadows development with more planned for sites across the town, Holbeach is growing and has just two GP surgeries.
Coun Worth says that Holbeach needs some ‘serious investment’ as local health services are ‘already under considerable strain’ - as new figures show that South Holland has received the lowest amount of investment from section 106 (S106) contributions - provided by developers as part of their planning permissions.
In a report presented to the county’s Health Scrutiny Committee yesterday (Wednesday), a table shows that just £30,652.05 of S106 planning money earmarked for healthcare has been spent in South Holland over the last five years with £826,077.83 sitting in the coffers ‘currently available’.
This will be a bitter pill for many people who are struggling to access health services in the area.
The Holbeach Health Hub was going to play a huge role in the regeneration plans for the town and would have seen Holbeach Medical Practice relocate into a larger site in Park Road.
Coun Worth, who has been working on the plans with the ICB over the last two years, said it was ‘frustrating’.
He said: “I have been working for several years with the district council, ICB and Holbeach Medical Centre to increase and modernise primary care services in Holbeach on the back of a large number of houses being built in the town and the knock on effect for medical provision which is already under considerable strain.
“As a result the district council did offer land opposite the Holbeach Medical Centre for a new build to co-locate Primary Care services, having done an extensive search with the ICB to find the best possible site.”
Coun Worth said that he has recently received a letter from the ICB stating that they have considered this option and another to have a split site model is ‘unlikely to present value for money and be viable projects.
Instead the letter goes onto say that it is not ‘financially viable’ for Holbeach Medical Centre to leave its premises and that ‘additional clinical capacity’ has been identified at the current site. The ICB is also looking to develop Littlebury Medical Centre using s106 fund.
Coun Worth said: “I am very frustrated that it has taken so long to get an answer and one that in the end just puts a sticking plaster on the issue. Holbeach needs some serious investment from the NHS and the £827,000 would go some way towards that.”
A report to the health scrutiny committee states that the viability of S106 money is becoming an ‘increasing risk’ as developers try to reduce contributions due to construction costs.
It states: “There is a balance needed between supporting housing development within Lincolnshire, particularly in areas of high housing need, that are affordable for developers to progress whilst supporting the infrastructure requirements for the residents of the dwellings, including for health.
“As noted, NHS capital investment for primary care estate by NHS England has historically been limited, with s106 funding being a key enabler to support required infrastructure growth to ensure an increased practice population can be accommodated. There are a high level of competing needs for infrastructure funding from a wide variety of projects, however as new residents will register at a local GP surgery for access to primary medical services, there is a direct correlation to housing growth and viability and sustainability of primary care services.”
