Cheshire GP surgery with more than 8,400 patients could be on the move
The Beeches Medical Centre in Widnes wants to relocate from its Ditchfield Road building to Highfield Health and Wellbeing Centre because of concerns over the condition and accessi
By Cheshire Live
The Beeches Medical Centre in Widnes wants to relocate from its Ditchfield Road building to Highfield Health and Wellbeing Centre because of concerns over the condition and accessibility of its current premises.
A Widnes GP surgery with more than 8,400 patients could move to a different healthcare site because of concerns over its current building.
The Beeches Medical Centre, based on Ditchfield Road, wants to relocate to Widnes Highfield Health and Wellbeing Centre on Highfield Road.
The proposed new site, also known as Highfield Hospital, is around 1.8 miles from the existing surgery.
The practice says the move is being considered because its current premises are no longer suitable for modern healthcare needs.
According to a report due to be considered by Halton Council’s Health and Social Care Policy and Performance Board, the Ditchfield Road building has accessibility issues and does not comply with the Equality Act.
Concerns have also been raised about fire safety, including a lack of correct fire doors, with the report describing this as carrying a “moderate risk to life”.
The surgery has also said its landlord has put the building up for sale and there is no secure lease in place.
The report says the existing premises would need around £300,000 of immediate maintenance work. However, the practice says that level of spending would still not bring the building up to modern standards.
Several options have been considered, including refurbishing the existing site or moving to a new purpose-built building.
A new building was ruled out because of the likely cost, estimated at between £1.4m and £1.8m, and a possible timescale of five to 10 years.
The preferred option is to relocate to Highfield Health and Wellbeing Centre, which the practice says would provide a safer, more modern and more accessible building.
The practice says the move could be completed more quickly, with a possible timescale of four to six months.
Many Beeches patients already use Highfield for other services, including blood tests, physiotherapy, women’s health clinics, dermatology, ear, nose and throat services, and extended access appointments.
The practice has been consulting patients about the proposal and has also sent out a letter explaining the position.
The letter said no final decision had been made and that future plans would be developed with patient engagement and feedback at the centre of the process.
The move also requires a change to the practice’s contract boundary, because the current boundary does not cover the preferred new site. The practice has applied to extend its boundary to cover the area and the whole of Widnes.
The report says this would allow the practice to offer increased patient choice in Widnes and help respond to population growth linked to new housing developments.
Halton Council’s Health and Social Care Policy and Performance Board is due to consider the plans on June 23.
For patients, the key issues are likely to be travel distance, parking, public transport, accessibility, appointment access and whether the move would improve the long-term stability of GP services in the area.