Health Care Boost For Ashford
Health care services are expanding across
Ashford to meet the needs of the town’s rising population, which is
set to double by 2031.
Public and private sector investment is being
ploughed into the region to provide new health centres and
facilities, helping support Ashford’s ambitious development
programme. Ashford is now the fastest-growing town between London
and continental Europe, with plans to create 28,000 new jobs and
build 31,000 homes over the next two decades.
New facilities include a £13 million health
centre to be built on the site of the Old Ashford Hospital. The
Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust is forging ahead with
the development following a successful bid for Government funding.
Around £9 million will come from the Department of Health with the
remaining £4 million coming from PCT investment.
The centre is expected to be completed by June
2011. Plans are in the early stages and the PCT says it will be
working in partnership with local GPs to agree the range of
services to be delivered from the new site. It’s expected to offer
day-to-day treatments such as X-rays, scans, blood tests, minor
injury and illness treatments, outpatient appointments, post and
antenatal care, outpatient rehabilitation, physiotherapy and speech
and language therapy. Some minor surgery may be provided.
PCT Chief Executive Ann Sutton said: “With its
growing population, Ashford clearly merits the expansion of health
care premises. The PCT has been working hard to ensure that health
needs are met by investing in additional local health care
facilities.
This new development forms part of the PCT’s
drive to deliver more accessible health care closer to people’s own
homes, and offers the opportunity to provide more treatments in
community settings without people having to travel to an acute
hospital, as is so often the case now.”
Other health care developments include a new
medical centre at Eureka Park, Ashford’s hugely successful business
park just off junction 9 of the M20; and a new nursing and care
centre, to be built next to the town’s William Harvey Hospital.
The privately funded and operated medical
centre at Eureka Park will provide a range of out-patient and
in-patient services, and will include four operating theatres,
approximately 36 in-patient bedrooms, consulting rooms and waiting
rooms. The centre could also provide additional diagnostic and
elective surgery capacity for NHS-funded patients.
The nursing and care centre, also a private
initiative, aims to provide intermediate care, with 84 beds, two
dementia and four intermediate care residential areas, as well as a
visitor centre complete with shop and crèche. The centre could be
open within 18 months.
Judith Armitt, Managing Director of Ashford’s
Future, the organisation tasked with delivering the growth agenda
for the town, said: “These new healthcare developments are
excellent news for Ashford. They help to meet the needs of an
expanding local population by providing up to date facilities to
supplement existing medical capacity, and they bring highly-skilled
jobs to the area.”
In recent years Ashford has benefited from a
new health facility at St Stephens Walk, in South Ashford, offering
extra GP and dental provision. A number of GP centres have also
been established in Ashford’s expanding residential areas to meet
growing demand.
Media Release 0192/08
18/07/2008