Hemel Hub is not that new
- Claims that the Hemel Health Campus or Hub, planned for the Market Square, is a stunningly new concept are well wide of the mark
- In 2018, Dacorum Council and the NHS thought about building something very similar, in a new building on the existing Hemel Hospital site
- This is some of what was considered in 2018:
- A local hospital that would be between 6000 and 10000 sq metres.
- It would stress: ‘Supporting local people to stay well and prevent ill-health through co-ordinated services – which encourages people to make healthy choices
Empowering people to take an active part in their own care – to enable pro-active condition management and better information availability
Ensuring people receive care in the right place, as close to home as possible – making primary care a central focus to keep people out of hospital
Joining-up services for better care and better patient experience – supporting a person, not just a condition . - It would be ‘an opportunity to provide expanded GP services, with extended hours, supporting outpatient clinics and diagnostics in a modern setting that cannot be provided elsewhere in Dacorum.’
- The aims would be to: Relieve pressure on Watford General Hospital (WGH)
Support community and mental health services
Provide a base for GP-led care on a locality basis
Create strong links to the Dacorum Borough Council services that will be provided nearby
Create opportunities for voluntary sector and community support groups to support integrated, holistic care. - The aim was to include:
- access to pharmacists including dispensing pharmacy. Specialist GP working with specialist
consultants.
Children – out-of-hour services, Tier1 and Tier2 CAMH and online counselling.
Maternity – health visits and routine scans
Mental Health – IAPT, memory services and dementia services.
- THE MARKET SQUARE CAME NINTH EQUAL OUT OF TEN OPTIONS FOR THE LOCATION OF THIS
- The publicity material for the 2025 Hub (likely to be 8000 square metres) includes this:
- Focusing on prevention and local care – A campus will help shift the focus from treating people only when they reach a health crisis, to supporting their health earlier – helping people stay well and stay at home when possible. Rather than relying on hospital visits, more care will happen locally, in the community, with teams working together to support you before health problems get worse.
- Shifting the focus of delivery to early help and prevention, with a particular emphasis on reducing health inequalities and ageing well
Deliver care closer to home, including through multi-disciplinary teams that support more complex, older residents and reduce onward demand for acute care - Central to that will be bringing services together into a more joined-up and integrated health and care service, so we can more effectively meet the future needs of the local community.
- Spaces for local wellbeing events led by community and faith groups