Health system 'needs improvements', says chief executive of NHS Richmond (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Health system 'needs improvements', says chief executive of NHS Richmond

1:00pm Saturday 20th March 2010 in

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Teddington Memorial Hospital will act as an urgent care centre (UCC) and polyclinic under a new NHS system being rolled out across the area.

Earlier this month, Howard Freeman, joint clinical director of Healthcare for South West London, explained the current healthcare system was “tired and jaded” and needed bringing up to 21st century standards.

Dr Freeman – part of a team leading a review into services in the area – backed an NHS London plan to base the future of healthcare around polyclinics – where a wide range of health services are available – and UCCs, where anyone with an illness or injury can go to be seen initially before being sent to a GP or accident and emergency.

Joan Mager, chief executive of NHS Richmond, said on the Middlesex side of the River Thames, the plan was to use Teddington as a polyclinic and UCC.

Residents on the Surrey side will have UCCs at Hammersmith Hospital and Kingston Hospital, and a polysystem at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Roehampton.

Ms Mager said Teddington Hospital would be supplemented by a new clinic in Whitton, which is in the final stages of planning and is known as the Whitton Lift.

In Richmond, work was ongoing as to the best way to build a polysystem – where the services are spread throughout the area – she said.

She added there was a plan to house many of these services in Richmond town centre but a new building would be needed.

Ms Mager said: “We have a hub, or polyclinic, at Teddington. We have x-ray and a range of other diagnostic services and this month opened a GP-led health centre.

“We have brought that together with the walk-in centre to create a UCC.

“Our current buildings aren’t great for the future [on the Surrey side].

“The current set up in general practice in that area would not enable us to extend services in existing facilities.

“We are exploring options, but we won’t make any decisions until we have spoken to the public.”

Ms Mager agreed the system needed improving as more than half of people were going to A&E unnecessarily.

She said: “The current system is not serving our population well enough.

“There is no case for us not to progress when there is evidence we can make a difference.

“We should not have 60 per cent of us going to A&E when there isn’t an emergency.

“[A UCC] as part of every A&E run by highly-skilled staff is critical to ensure we use the emergency department for true emergencies.

“We need to make it easier for people to understand where the best place to go is.”

The ongoing review was thrust into the spotlight when it emerged the A&E and maternity departments at Kingston Hospital were under threat.