New services and investment announced for Haslemere Hospital | News
New services and investment announced for Haslemere Hospital
Haslemere Hospital is set for a major transformation, as Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust announces new services, expanded facilities and £1million of investment to bring more care closer to home.
Last year, the trust carried out a detailed engagement exercise to better understand what local people in Haslemere would like from their health services. Several key themes emerged, including strong support for expanding outpatient clinics and the idea of a proactive long term conditions hub for older people. There was also clear demand for innovative services focused on long-term conditions, helping patients to receive care closer to home and reducing the need to travel to Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford.
Over recent months, Royal Surrey has been working closely with partners including the Haslemere Hospital League of Friends and the Haslemere Hospital Transformation Group to co-design a plan for the hospital’s future.
As a result, the Trust is now moving forward with the creation of an integrated neighbourhood team, bringing together hospital, primary care and community services. A new long-term conditions hub will launch in June, initially focusing on cardiology care and heart failure. The service is expected to support around 50 patients each week, with plans to expand to a wider range of conditions over time.
To support these developments, Royal Surrey has secured £1 million in capital funding. This will fund building works to refurbish and adapt former ward space, enabling more outpatient and day care services to be delivered at Haslemere Hospital.
The hospital has already successfully piloted a cardiac and respiratory rehabilitation programme from one of its vacant ward areas. This service will continue as part of the newly remodelled space. Discussions are also ongoing about introducing additional clinics and making greater use of on-site facilities, including diagnostics.
Louise Stead, Group Chief Executive, said:
“These plans reflect what the community has said matters most and align closely with the wider direction of the NHS, supporting neighbourhood health and helping people to live well within their local communities, while reducing reliance on hospital-based care.
“I want to thank Haslemere Hospital staff, partners and supporters for their continued commitment and collaboration in helping the hospital better serve its local community.”
As part of a further engagement plan, Royal Surrey looks forward to welcoming local people into Haslemere hospital soon to learn more about the planned service development. Details of this will be shared closer to the time.
Royal Surrey governors and colleagues will also attend the Haslemere Charter Fair on 4 May, where they will share more about the developments and hear directly from residents.