The new Hythe and Dibden War Memorial Hospital will serve as a local ‘Area Hub’, supporting West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Isle of Wight Sustainability and Transformation Partnership's integrated care strategy for the 80,000+ population of South West Hampshire.
The new £10m building will provide a welcoming, inclusive, fit for purpose and high-quality facility, creating a positive experience for patients, visitors and the staff caring for them. It will be run on a significantly smaller footprint, making it more cost efficient as well as releasing surplus land for disposal – generating funds to reinvest into the NHS. A reduced footprint doesn’t mean reduced services, however, and by using the accommodation more efficiently (using flexible room booking and a seven day a week schedule), there will be capacity to continue existing services as well as opening opportunities to bring an expanded range of health and wellbeing services to the site. Indeed, it will increase the integration of services through co-location, building more integrated and coordinated care. An increased provision of care closer to home (including expanded diagnostic services and more dementia care) will reduce pressure from nearby acute centres, with more patients being safely supported in their local community setting or at home. The demolition started in February 2021 and as of 24 March 2021, are complete. The team are now preparing to start the rebuilding of the new hospital, which is due to be finished in Spring 2022.
* Article credit: NHS Property Services