Staines Health and Wellbeing Centre

The proposed centre would fulfil the following aims:

1. Boost out-of-hospital care, and aid in dissolving the historic divide between primary and community health services
2. Bring together different professionals to coordinate care better
3. Give people more control over their own health and care
4. Encourage more collaboration amongst health and care partners to develop appropriate services for local people
5. Provide an innovative space for current health and care staff to work together to address the wider determinants of health 
6. Attract students and those in training to join the health and care workforce by providing a vibrant, holistic workplace
7. Getting the most out of taxpayers’ investment in the NHS
8. Accelerating estates transformation and making best use of the NHS estate

Between January and March 2021, meetings and conversations took place with over 90 individuals from Spelthorne Borough Council, Surrey County Council, GPs and health partners, local voluntary, community and faith sector organisations and local residents. They were asked to consider the following:

 

A list of principles emerged from these conversations:

• Create integrated, joined up, working relationships and culture, going beyond co-location of services and organisations
• Build a joined up entrepreneurial culture between people
• New buildings alone don’t transform culture – other things need to happen.
• Culture and approach, it’s not ‘what’s the matter with people, it’s what matters to them’
• It’s not ‘top down’ or ‘bottom up’ but an ‘inside out’ approach
• Find local champions in Staines to make a success of the programme

Since then, a Strategic Case for Change was signed up to by all partners and an initial draft Outline Business Case (OBC) has been approved.  Further development of this remains ongoing. A Full Business Case will then be developed in due course. This process requires seeking and gaining planning permission for the preferred site, wide stakeholder engagement, financial approval etc. In partnership with Spelthorne Borough Council, the Full Business Case will require final approval from the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB and NHS England.

Staines Immersion Event Report

Two sites were shortlisted:

1. site A - the current Staines Health Centre site and
2. site E - the Oast House site.

More detailed analysis took place which led to the Oast House site being selected as the preferred option.

The current Staines Health Centre site was not selected as the preferred site due to:

• Risk of flooding (zone 3a and 3b) and therefore highly likely that planning permission will not be granted
• Massing of new building required within residential area
• Limited access for construction

The area surrounding the Oast House site is undergoing regeneration and there are proposals for a new cultural centre and affordable housing. It is well connected to bus and train services as well as cycle routes.

The design of the proposed health and wellbeing centre will enable co-location of GP surgeries, community therapy services for children, mental health services and antenatal & post-natal care alongside voluntary organisations that offer advice and support on a wide range of issues that can impact upon health and wellbeing e.g. debt advice.

The affordable housing that would be built alongside the health and wellbeing centre, to accommodate the growing population of Staines, will attract a wide range of people with a wide range of needs. There will also be opportunities for local businesses to engage with local people. Having a flexible space that supports health and wellbeing on the same footprint will ensure these needs can be met. How the space that is additional to essential health care services is used will evolve over time.

Spelthorne Borough Council held engagement events between Friday 17 June - Sunday 3 July 2022 where residents were able have their say on proposals to build a mixed-use scheme with a new community health and wellbeing centre providing NHS and voluntary sector services, cultural facilities and 182 affordable homes at the Oast House site, Kingston Road, Staines-upon-Thames, TW18 4LQ.

In March 2022, North West Surrey Health and Care Alliance in partnership with Spelthorne Borough Council launched a survey to gather views on health and wellbeing from residents in Spelthorne. The findings of the survey will enable the Alliance and Spelthorne Borough Council to understand what is important to Spelthorne residents which will help in future planning of services.

The NHS England GP Forward View promised more investment in technology and estates and the introduction of new ways of working. This included using more pharmacists, paramedics and physician associates to support the work of GPs and help patients to access healthcare in a more effective manner.

Update following Spelthorne Borough Council on Thursday 28^th April 2022

Jack Wagstaff, Chief Officer from North West Surrey Health and Care Alliance and Dr Mohsin Salahuddin, GP Partner from The Hythe Medical Centre in Staines both spoke at the public meeting of Spelthorne Borough Council on Thursday 28^th April to discuss the plans for the proposed new Staines Health and Wellbeing Centre.

It was a positive meeting and well done to everyone involved. Mr Wagstaff and Dr Salahuddin answered questions from Councillors and there was an in-depth discussion resulting in members approving the proposed community health and well-being centre and the residential housing at the Oast House site. 

There will be further steps in the process and later this year, and we will attend subsequent Planning Committee meetings.

Why Staines?

Staines-upon-Thames, also known as Staines, is a town in the borough of Spelthorne situated on the left bank of the Thames with a population of 99,844. Spelthorne is the most deprived borough in Surrey and people living there have reported feeling it has been left behind.

The regeneration of Staines town centre is a key priority for the local authority. The planned new housing in the local area will further increase demand for GP and community space by a forecast 10,000 extra patients.  The current GP and community premises are in a poor condition, too small and not able to accommodate any expansion.

It was therefore clear that the Alliance would put forward Staines as a priority area when the bid to become a pioneer site was submitted to NHS England.

As with many other parts of Surrey, people living in Staines are generally healthier than those living in other parts of the country but there are disparities. Key indicators of health and wellbeing are worse in Spelthorne compared to elsewhere in Surrey:

• 18.6% of the Staines population smoke versus 12.2% in Elmbridge.
• The number of adults averaging 50-plus minutes of exercise per week is 54% in Spelthorne, the lowest of all boroughs and districts in Surrey. The average for Surrey is 62%.
• 38% of people in Spelthorne report walking 10 minutes per day on five days per week, which is significantly lower than England (50.6%) and Surrey as a whole (49%).
• 50% adults in Spelthorne report eating the recommended five portions per day of fruit and vegetables compared to the Surrey average of 57%.
• The percentage of adults classified as having excess weight in North West Surrey is highest in Spelthorne at 63%.
• Four Food Banks are available through local need.

What type of NHS / community services will be working out of the centre?

In addition to the three GP Practices there will be a range of services such as:

• Three Primary Care Networks
• Childrens services
• Adults services
• Ultrasound, Paediatric Outreach, Maternity Hub (anti & post natal, feeding support etc), MDT/GP Hub Clinics
• Mental Health Support/Safe haven (adults)
• Community Dentistry
• Citizens Advice
• Other Wellbeing Services – Active Surrey, Community Kitchen, Centre Café, Voluntary Support North Surrey, North Surrey Domestic Abuse Service