Healthcare Facilities: Weybridge

Will Quince Excerpts

Monday 21st November 2022 Commons Chamber

[The Minister of State, Department of Health and Social Care (Will Quince)]

First, I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Dr Spencer) on securing this important debate. He has been a strong advocate for the rebuild of the Weybridge hospital site, which he rightly said is owned by NHS Property Services. He met the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Sajid Javid), in July this year to discuss progress on the rebuilding plans, and ministerial colleagues wrote to him on 16 August. Although we have discussed this issue—at least once, if not twice—I am sorry that we have yet had the chance to formally meet, as we discussed last month. However, I know that Lord Markham, who has ministerial responsibility for NHSPS, will be happy to do so following this debate.

My hon. Friend referred to the terrible fire in July 2017, which resulted in the immediate closure and demolition of the site on safety grounds. Following the fire, the local health system and NHSPS acted quickly to provide alternative accommodation for the provision of services. As the landlord, NHSPS installed temporary portakabins on the site, enabling the two GP practices, community services and a pharmacy to continue operating. I know that my hon. Friend and his constituents have been frustrated by the apparent lack of progress in producing a plan for the site. I am aware that re-providing for the services currently housed in portakabins, with all the difficulties that he so well described, is an absolute priority for him and his constituents.

As my hon. Friend appreciates, it was important for all the local stakeholders to consider the long-term commissioning requirements and the associated property needs. That included exploring the potential for configuring services differently across the centre of Weybridge. As he pointed out, the previous hospital did not reflect modern healthcare needs—for example, it contained bedded wards that were no longer in use. That work was led by Surrey County Council, working in collaboration with the other public bodies. I echo my hon. Friend’s thanks for the work of council leaders and the WeyBetter Weybridge team on this project.

The decision was rightly taken that the hospital rebuild should progress first as a stand-alone project to be delivered by NHSPS, with a capital contribution provided from central budgets. The standard business case process is required to demonstrate that the scheme represents value for money, is affordable and, importantly, is deliverable. In April this year, NHSPS was therefore asked to commence work with the integrated care board to put an indicative business case together. As my hon. Friend points out, good progress has been made in the design, development and pre-application town planning work. Much of the essential detailed preparatory work is therefore well under way, as he rightly states.

In parallel, the ICB is engaging with key stakeholders and providers to confirm the scope of services to be delivered from a new health campus, and the plans broadly reflect the services previously provided, but with the addition of a mental health hub. The plan also includes a primary care network base, providing a wide range of clinical services to reduce the need to travel to an acute hospital site. As my hon. Friend rightly points out, vitally for local residents it includes a same-day urgent care access hub, replacing the very popular previous walk-in centre. I understand that the ICB will be holding a further public engagement event in January to provide an update on its plans.

With respect to funding the new facility, my hon. Friend has raised the self-insurance model. Self-insurance is the model in place for all NHS buildings, as it is considered the lowest overall cost, since the Government can pool and spread its own risk, therefore making it cheaper. As he rightly points out, though, that does mean that when there is a significant loss, such as at Weybridge, the replacement must be funded from current Government spending budgets. Due to the local service requirements, the capital ask from central budgets is larger than comparators for other new community hospitals. Accordingly, it is necessary for the local system and NHSPS to work together to identify additional sources of funding to deliver the scheme. I am assured that good progress is being made on that.

When my Department wrote to my hon. Friend on 16 August, important meetings were taking place involving all the relevant parties to discuss the current ICB proposals and to agree how the new facility will be funded. The Government’s recent autumn statement on 17 November has maintained our level of capital budgets. However, there are a number of pressures on future capital funding, such as the high levels of construction inflation. As a result, the scheme will need to be considered alongside other local and national investment priorities.

I hope that my hon. Friend will accept that there are good reasons why it has taken the local health system some time to agree the commissioning requirements for services in Weybridge. The ICB, local providers and NHSPS are now working collaboratively to deliver a new community hospital in Weybridge and, importantly, the preparatory work is well under way. As I said, the ICB will be holding a public engagement event on the very latest plans in January next year. Subject to the budget position, the ICB aim is to submit a business case early next year for approval and following that, 18 to 24 months are normally required to finalise designs and agree contracts before building works can commence.

To conclude, I thank my hon. Friend for highlighting this hugely important issue this evening. I know it is one that he will campaign on and champion on behalf of his constituents over the coming weeks and months. The new community hospital at Weybridge matters to his Runnymede and Weybridge constituents, it matters to him and therefore it matters to me. I look forward to working with him to deliver this new community hospital at Weybridge.

Question put and agreed to.