THE health trust in charge of Knutsford’s Community Hospital has reinforced its commitment to build a new medical centre for the town.

East Cheshire NHS Trust, which runs the hospital on Bexton Road, has said it is working with the town’s GPs and other ‘medical partners’ to ‘transform the way in which healthcare is provided’ in the town.

Dr Robert J Stead, medical director at the trust, said the centre would mean it could work more closely with GPs to support them in providing care close to people’s homes and to provide specialist care, including consultants’ advice when needed.

“The trust is committed to the proposals to create a health and wellbeing centre in Knutsford,” he said.

“Plans are that the centre will house GP practices and other related services, and the trust is pleased to be working with Knutsford GPs to determine what additional clinical services should be available at the centre.

“Some examples of these are access to specialist consultant-led clinics with flexibility for GPs to be able to arrange appointments for their patients as needed; or to simply discuss a patient’s case with a specialist on site, reducing lengthy communications and the availability of onsite diagnostic services such as blood tests and X-rays.”

Earlier this year a proposal was put forward to create a new ‘super surgery’ on the existing site of Knutsford Community Hospital on Bexton Road.

A plan for the site was drawn up by a firm of consultants, but the site is currently home to the hospital and the closed Tatton ward. However major questions still remain over who will finance the project if it is finally approved.

Dr Stead said teams of clinicians had already been formed to make sure the project was a success.

“We know that the population of Knutsford is ageing, and more people are living with chronic conditions,” he added.

“Our plan is to provide the support to allow people to care for themselves better, which means sharing clinical information.

“We have already formed teams of clinicians including nurses, community matrons and social workers working with GPs to enable discussion and co-ordinated clinical and social support for the benefit of all of our patients.

“We look forward to working with the people of Knutsford to develop these opportunities.”

 

 

 

 

THE dates for consultation meetings into the closed Tatton ward have been announced. East Cheshire NHS Trust will hold sessions on the following dates.

- November 24 at Knutsford District and Community Hospital.

- December 4, Health Matters evening at Macclesfield Hospital.


- January 21 at St John’s Church in Knutsford.


- Week beginning January 28, a public event in Holmes Chapel.


- Week beginning February 4, a public event in Wilmslow and Knutsford District and Community Hospital.


- February 5, health matters evening at Macclesfield Hospital.