Hub space squeeze could mean rush to telephone and online appointments

The authorities claim existing secondary care services would be ‘relocated’ from Hemel Hospital to the Market Square Hub 

That claim needs to be taken with a big pinch of salt

There is unlikely to be anything like enough room to provide existing services on the one-acre multi-use Hub site 

National policy on neighbourhood health centres (NHCs) like the Hub says there would be NO ROOMS dedicated to hospital level ‘secondary shift’ consultations and examinations

There would be just TWO ROOMS for secondary shift treatment in an NHC

That would be a major reduction in space from our Hospital, which has scores of rooms for consultation and treatment

The future for Hemel’s hospital care would be increasingly remote as virtual contacts – on telephone or online – take up 50% of appointments

For face-to-face consultations with specialist hospital doctors – it will more and more be journeys to Watford or St Albans

Virtual appointments can be more convenient for patients. The aim is to have more home visits as well.

But guidelines suggest that virtual appointments will be half the length of the average face-to-face appointment at just 15 minutes

And some doctors are already worried that they are being asked by the NHS to do too many virtual appointments. 

The Doctors’ Association UK GP spokesperson Dr Steve Taylor recently said: ‘If doctors are just sat behind screens all day, that is a risk, and we do need to recognise that face-to-face is still the is still the best way of actually treating and diagnosing patients. Without recognising that as the gold standard, there’s going to be problems going forward.’

The NHS policy on neighbourhood health centres is at:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/neighbourhood-health-centres/