To receive updates from senior officers at NHS Property concerning the position with health facility sites within Havering.
Minutes:
Hulse Avenue Clinic, Collier Row
Officers from NHS Property Services (NHSPS) explained that, as a public body, NHSPS was required to advertise spare NHS properties in the first instance to other Government departments. Havering Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had advised NHSPS that this site was surplus to requirements.
The building could not be directly offered to a GP as a GP was not a public body. A GP could take a lease on the building from NHSPS if requested. NHSPS were to consider whether to continue to auction the property.
Victoria Hospital, Romford
The NHSPS officers explained that the Victoria Hospital site was now 50% vacant. NHS Property were the guardians of the site and wished to establish from Havering CCG what future use was foreseen for the site. Disposal of the site was not being undertaken at this stage but this was one option, depending on the views of the CCG.
The Interim Director of Public Health added that the Health and Wellbeing Board wished to see the most cost effective of estate such as this but felt that decisions such as this should be fully connected between the Council and the NHS. In response, it was confirmed that NHSPS had discussed strategy for the site with Council officers and that a joint group had met on two occasions the future of the Victoria Hospital estate. Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals’ NHS trust were also part of the local estates group.
It was clarified that NHSPS was only responsible for part of the local NHS estate and that property could not be disposed of without an explicit instruction from the CCG that it was not required for health purposes.
St George’s Hospital, Hornchurch
Planning applications for both housing and health facilities on the St George’s site had been recommended for approval. The housing proposal had however been rejected whilst the health facility application had been deferred due to the Regulatory Services feeling there was insufficient parking provision. Further discussions were in progress with Council planning officers and it was hoped to resubmit the planning applications in mid-February. Specific details of changes to the schemes were not available at this stage.
Work on the Outline Business Case for the project was continuing and this was not directly affected by any delays in the planning process.
Harold Wood Clinic
Officers confirmed that there had been issues with parking at this site with members of the public not inputting their car registration details into the machine in the clinic entrance or inputting them incorrectly. It was accepted that signage for this was may not have been sufficiently clear. A meeting with the parking contractor was due to be held in the next week and the NHSPS officer would speak to the facilities manager at the site and report back on any outcomes.
Members felt that poor visibility in the clinic car park may also have been an issue and that the contractors should be more lenient in issuing tickets. Other issues raised included receptionists at the clinic not helping patients who reported parking issues and a lack of motorcycle parking. There were also reports that people simply visiting the pharmacy on the site had received parking tickets.
The Sub-Committee NOTED the updates and thanked the NHSPS officers for their input to the meeting.