Community hospitals receive revamp

The government has announced 132 million pounds worth of funding intended to support the development of new community hospitals and super-surgeries.

Existing facilities will also receive extensive refurbishment as ministers push for better primary care services for NHS patients.

Eight existing facilities are expected to be transformed into modern community hospitals including Malvern Community Hospital and St Mary’s in Portsmouth.

In addition, a new health centre has been earmarked for Hartlepool which will provide GP services as well as walk-in services for people with minor injuries and illnesses.

Health minister Ben Bradshaw stressed the importance of community hospitals for the NHS and indicated that the funding pledge would be “welcome news” for local communities.

He added: “We are not just building like-for-like replacements of existing buildings, we are re-thinking the way the NHS provides care so that patients receive better, more convenient services.”

In the summer of last year, the Department of Health (DoH) invited Primary Care Trusts to bid for 750 million pounds in funding to build a new swathe of community hospitals and health centres.

This week has also seen the DoH publish its report examining the variation in rates of the hospital infection MRSA between different hospitals from 2001 to 2006.