Few face-to-face hospital facilities likely in Market Square Hub

Access to face-to-face hospital services is likely to be minimal in the Market Square Health Campus/Hub

National NHS Plans for ‘neighbourhood health centres’ (NHCs) like the Campus show that:

• They would have ZERO fully-equipped  consulting/examination rooms set aside for secondary shift (hospital-style) care
• Hospital specialists would have to hot-desk in 18 consulting/exam rooms with GPs and community healthcare
• There would be only TWO rooms for treatment connected with secondary shift care
• There would be 3 office-style rooms for virtual (online or phone) secondary shift appointments

This would be a huge reduction in face-to-face facilities compared with Hemel Hospital

In just one existing Hemel Hospital building, Verulam from 1992, there are about 40 consulting or examination rooms

The NHS is planning for rooms for many more virtual appointments at NHCs. These can be very convenient for patients, and can save money and travel time

But the NHS assumes virtual secondary shift appointments will last just 15 minutes, against 30 minutes for face-to-face. And virtual appointments are not suitable for some conditions and some patients, especially those who struggle with digital technology

These figures are taken from the NHS Neighbourhood Health Centre Activity Calculator.

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