HEALTH bosses have underlined their commitment to providing an Urgent Care Centre at Solihull Hospital.
Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) Chief Executive Andrew Foster this week met with Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group’s Dr Patrick Brooke on site at the Lode Lane Hospital to affirm their dedication to the project.
Earlier this month the respective governing boards of HEFT and the CCG have both agreed that block 14 at the hospital – which formally housed part of the now closed Ward 10 dementia unit – will be the home of the new service.
This has given the green light for the project to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for all urgent care services in Solihull to become a reality and Mr Foster said he was ‘delighted’ to reaffirm the Trust’s commitment.
He added: “It has been a complex process which unfortunately has created some delays but it is vital that we make sure the centre will be in the best location for patients, large enough for future expansion, and link effectively with other services, and we now firmly believe that the conclusion of housing the Urgent Care Centre in this area of Solihull Hospital is the right decision.
“It is the most suitable location to make the Urgent Care Centre easily accessible to the public and will enable work to be completed in a timely and efficient manner.”
Dr Patrick Brooke said he is delighted the location of the Urgent Care Centre within the hospital has been agreed and the CCG are looking forward to working with HEFT to bring this to fruition.
The Urgent Care Centre, which is set to replace the Walk-in Centre and the downgraded A&E department at the Hospital, was planned to open in autumn 2015 – however after suggestions the project may not be delivered to the high standard expected in the permitted time frame, this time frame was extended.
