RESIDENTS are being urged to have their say on proposals to move a range of hospital outpatient services to a retail setting before the consultation closes.
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is asking for views on plans to offer the services at a new Health Hub at Runcorn Shopping City.
The consultation covers proposals to offer ophthalmology, audiology, and dietetics outpatient appointments from his new hub near Halton Hospital.
The trust is urging residents to make their opinions known before the consultation closes tomorrow, Friday.
According to the trust, offering these services in a retail environment would make patient access easier, with some services expanded to offer a greater range of tests.
Halton residents would no longer have to travel out of borough to receive care, as the hub would provide greater convenience and an additional 3,000 outpatients appointments per year, at least, in Halton.
Audiology and ophthalmology would move just 300 metres from Halton Hospital’s outpatients to Shopping City, while dietetics would moving from St Paul’s Health Centre – a distance of 3.5km served by public transport.
Both audiology and ophthalmology would also be providing expanded services in Halton, reducing waiting times and providing services currently accessed in Warrington by Halton residents.
Current staff would relocate with their services and there would be no change to staffing levels.
The vacated space at Halton Hospital would be reallocated to clinically appropriate services – either those that require additional space or those that are relocating from Warrington.
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This is in line with the trust’s plan of expanding and further developing Halton as its dedicated elective site, much of which is already underway as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
No estate would be lost or decommissioned at Halton Hospital, and these proposals do not affect the delivery of services at Warrington Hospital.
Feedback to an earlier engagement exercise on these plans has been considered in progressing to this public consultation.
The trust has thanked everyone who has responded so far, with comments and suggestions proving helpful in informing ongoing discussions on the plans.
To have your say, fill out the online questionnaire at surveymonkey.co.uk/r/3BHV67V
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