New Medical Centre

It must be two years since we attended an Open Day at the Festival Hall, where the plans for the new Medical Centre were on display, and members of the public were invited to view the plans and discuss with the Doctors. It all appeared to herald a bright new dawn as a replacement for the inadequate and outdated George Street premises.
Now, two years on, we appear to be no further on. Can anybody explain what is happening, and why the conversion of the Festival Hall and the transfer of the George Street practice to new premises has seemingly stalled?
The most likely reason would appear to be cost. If this is the case, would it not be better to completely review the whole project, and perhaps consider the cheaper option of demolishing the Festival hall, and constructing in its place, a smaller purpose built new Medical Centre?

A ‘specification’ was agreed by the PCT (Primary Care Trust), for a new building. Then the govm. disbanded PCTs. The new ‘body’ is NHSEngland. They demanded a new ‘specification’ and so new costings. Thus all back to square one! All that time, all that effort, all that money, all for nothing!
Do the words brewery, organise, couldn’t etc come to mind?
Years ago I said that we should knock the Hall down; I was out-voted. I still would like to see the Hall flattened and a joint Hall/Medical Centre built…alas that would probably be circa £2 million and upwards! Do enough of the people in the village wish to pay out that much money?
Duncan Herald

I cannot believe that something so important to this village has initiated so little response. Thanks to Duncan Herald for your comments.

Let’s face it, the medical provision in this village is pathetic. I have had to wait four weeks to get an appointment with the doctor of my choice. My neighbour who was taken ill and could not get an appointment with any doctor for a week.

We need a medical centre that can respond to emergencies and to give treatment when needed.

It feels as though the patients are getting in the way.

Can we please have a medical centre that has a voice!!!

An item on the agenda for Monday’s Parish Council Meeting is “To discuss the Medical Centre and the need for a business plan”.

So hopefully the situation will be clarified then.

Marina.

It’s the same up and down the Country. A/E is no different. I am sure most places would love a state of the art new building for all their doctors. Sign of the times I guess.

I quite agree with Duncan,knock it down but instead of the £2m get Mr Jones on board,see what he comes up with,Med.centre,Hall and offices.I’m sure ir could be rewarding all round.I used to work at The Regal when i was young and Cyril Farmer owned it.
It’s still an ugly blot on the landscape.

Hi Terry…we got Mr. Jones on board…he was appointed builder after the tenders were compared…we (the P.C.) were then accused of favouritism; can’t win can we?
Duncan Herald

Hi Duncan,
They should have got him in for demolition 1st.
We would have had a med centre years ago if they’d let him crack on at the old Cottage Hospital!!

I was new to AE back then…when the Cottage Hospital was knocked down, the politicians of those days said that we need not worry as we would get a new medical centre!..good job we didn’t hold our breath!
Who did the knocking down and then the building of Cottage Lawns?
Duncan

Mr Jones.

this has gone quiet for a while, so please allow me to push a stick in and stir it up!
There is an elephant in the room…called money…there isn’t a ‘Spec.’ but even so, estimates to build a Medical Centre vary from £1.6 million to £2.6 million. Do you wish your Parish Council to borrow it? Or else, who can pay?
Suggestions written on a blank cheque please!
Duncan

What’s the alternative??? The current center will have to change as it cant expand or realistically become compliant fully with the DDA and if a location in the village is not found then I would imagine it will eventually merge with another local center or disappear, I maybe wrong but I cant imagine there is actually any law that says the NHS has to provide a local health center? Once this happens it will all just be the NHS and Local / Parish council arguing about whos fault it was!

Hi Vince…I believe that the NHS does have some kind of statutary duty to provide health care…I’m not a lawyer, so I don’t know exactly what…are you saying that the Parish Council should borrow the money? remembering that it is you who will have to repay the debt eventually!

Hi Duncan, am I missing something here?  If the PC borrow the money then, yes, it is us, the public, that will have to repay the debt.  But the money is for a public medical centre, so that makes sense.  If the NHS pay for the medical centre then it is still us, the public, who are paying for it. 

It’s all public money.  Just coming from different pots.  Why should it make any difference to us which pot it comes from?  Are you saying that our local PC taxes will have to increase to cover the debt?  If so, perhaps you should provide us with some figures and then ask for our opinions? 

And if the medical centre was not to be paid for with public money, then who should be paying for it, in your opinion?  I’m confused.

Hi Claire, I agree with you, why is there even a discussion about borrowing to build a medical center? 

Duncan I could understand if the money was being used to provide leisure facilities but the NHS will be paying rent etc which should cover the debt and running costs, and if it doesn’t then why not?

I have done a quick check this morning on NHS England Website and a large number of GP’s have a catchment area of up to 5 miles, so again I worry that the next step could be the loss of the surgery all together as we have 9 surgeries with 5 miles of Alderley some with over 10K patients so they are not small practices. I really think a public meeting should be arranged with the Surgery, NHS England and CEC / AEPC so we can find out exactly what is going on and what the timescales are, and what the alternatives will be if it doesn’t go ahead

Hi…we don’t know exactly how much a Medical Centre would cost…since the PCT went ‘away’ to be replaced by NHSEngland, there will have to be a new spec…and what will preparing the spec. cost? Don’t know, but one outside opinion was £40,000!
What happens if the P.C. Income isn’t large enough to meet re-payments? so the debt just increases!
As for NHSEngland paying rent…yes…but the PC isn’t allowed to set the amount of rent…so we are asked to build the Med. Centre, but some outside authority sets the rent…what if the rental amount won’t meet the re-payment costs on any borrowings?
As to loss of surgery…the PC have been led to believe that the George St. buildings are not any longer fit for purpose…but ‘they’ don’t put it into writing; so perchance the George St. buildings may in fact continue…
Hi ho, we (the P.C.) are to meet with the doctors shortly and with Emersons…so see this space?

Who owns the George St. buildings? Wont the sale of these offset the cost of the new Centre?
Also - I believe the time we have to wait for an appointment is affected by the same Doctors running two surgeries - one in Alderley and one in Prestbury.

Ann - I agree, I called today to be told an “emergency” appointment is available next Monday, I can call each day hoping there is a cancellation! So I will be spending tomorrow morning in Casualty if i can’t get seen at my own surgery, totally unacceptable and clearly not cost effective. I don’t need to go to Casualty but equally can’t wait a week!

Hi Claire…if the NHS pay for it, the cost is spread over several million people but if the P.C. pay for it, the cost is spread over the inhabitants of A/E; bit more costly for us? What’s your share of £2.4 million pounds?
It is difficult to give you exact figures as NHSEngland can’t give us exact figures to pass on to you.
Vince…if you read Lisa’s excellent article, put in today…you’ll understand why the rent may not cover the expense…exact figures are impossible to attain, but just to scare you, one guesstimate was that a cost of £2.5 million, after 20 years might rise to a debt of £4 million !
Ann…I believe the George St. practice occupies one and a half houses…I believe that the doctors own part of that (one out of one and a half?)...no one seems to be offering any money from the possible sale of that towards the building costs of a new medical Centre.
Sorry I can’t be more exact…by the way, all that I write is my opinion and to the best of my knowledge; it is not PC policy.
Duncan Herald