Some news on the proposals for changing health services in South Wandsworth where the consultation will run from 11th May to 4th August.

The consultation would indicate a preferred “option” …

“This option would provide three polyclinic hubs in Earlsfield, Balham and at St George’s. Each hub will serve one of the three localities. Within this option, it is the PCT’s preferred option that Brocklebank Health Centre is developed first because the population of Earlsfield has greater health needs and the Brocklebank development offers greater opportunity to provide a world class health facility.”

For those of us who are not sure what polyclinics are – the essential characteristics of a polyclinic hub are: outpatient services, urgent care, diagnostics (eg X-rays, ultrasound and phlebotomy), and extended hours. St George’s wishes to move such services off its site to make way for specialised stroke and trauma work, which would enable developing a polyclinic hub to provide them on the St George’s within the next five years, including an urgent care centre. The hubs would accommodate activity shifted from secondary care and not duplicate secondary care services.

Other issues covered in the meeting were the Children’s Nursing Review, Childhood Immunisations and the use of user and patient-based intelligence in Strategic Commissioning.

PEC and PCT Board papers are available on the NHS Wandsworth website: www.wandsworth.nhs.uk

If Wandsworth LINk members would like this feedback circulated electronically to them or other individuals or organisations, please let Andrew Craig have the details. He can be reached at andrew@agcraig.com.

Your feedback on the usefulness of the form and content of these briefings is always welcome.

Finally, please remember that this is a report from the PEC lay member’s perspective. As this report circulates widely, it is necessary to stress that it is not an official PEC or PCT document and Andrew Craig is solely responsible for its contents.