Erewash Sound
On Air Now
Bob Staveley19:00 - 21:00
Listen Live
Bob StaveleyA variety of health services will be delivered locally to thousands of patients in Allestree, Borrowash, Breaston, Oakwood, and Spondon. Five medical practices have joined forces under the governments “Practice Based Commissioning” scheme to deliver health services, in the community that would normally be carried out at hospital. Stoneleigh House was officially opened by Liz Blackman MP on 20th September. The centre on Victoria Avenue has four consulting rooms, two physiotherapy suites, a minor operations room and offices for running the centre and the consortium. There will be ample free car parking.
Brian Bates Chairman of the First Commissioning Group, told Erewash Sound. “The theory behind Stoenleigh House is that when it comes to seeing a hospital based clinician, it’s who you see, not where you are seen. For example, most people seeing a dermatologist need a dermatologist, not a hospital”. Currently, three projects are to be delivered from Stoneleigh House all of them different in the benefits they bring, but all of them having a shared and huge benefit. In short the services will be better for patients care and a more pleasant enviroment. This is the first centre of its kind in Derbyshire and over 58,000 patients will benefit from its services. “We believe it makes more sense to bring a consultant out into the community to run a clinic than it does to send 15 or more patients into the hospital to see the same consultant”, said Brenda Greaves- Nurse Practitioner, Overdale Practice.
This is all part of the Government’s / NHS Practice Based Commissioning initiative to bring health care closer to its patients. Under PBC, groups of GP practices are able to get together and decide what types of services are required and where they should be provided. Colin Dorman, one of the patient representatives who attend the First Commissioning Group meetings told us “As one of the patient members of the group, I am able to give my views from a patient’s perspective. We wish the project every success.”
To start with the brand new centre will deliver the following services.
The five practices are Park Medical Practice.(Borrowash, Chaddesden, Derby University) Overdale (Borrowash & Breaston), Chapel Street (Spondon) Oakwood Medical Centre, Park Farm (Allestree, & Vernon Street), and they all see many benefits for patients with Stoneleigh House. Apart from the obvious ones such as, more convenience for patients and free parking. It is less stressful than going to hospital, more efficient and cheaper than doing it at hospital, freeing up more money to reinvest in patient services. "GP Practices have historically worked independently.” Said Heather Simpson, Practice Manager at Park Medical Practice. “This is an exciting opportunity to share skills and expertise in a way we have not been able to do before.
Jeff Martin Chair of the Park Medical Practice Patients Participation Group is sure Stoneleigh House will be a success: “Patients are talking about the new service and can already see the benefits of having their treatment locally without the need to go to hospital. There is still plenty of room in Stoneleigh House and other services are already being looked at, in the knowledge that if we can develop a better service for our patients we have somewhere to deliver it. The ultimate vision is that, as we bring more and more services into the community we will develop other premises similar to Stoneleigh House so that these services will become even more local to the patients own practice."