Issue - meetings

Report of Strategic Director Environment and Community

Summary

To consider the latest position regarding the procurement by Oxfordshire PCT of the re-provision of Bicester Hospital.

Recommendations

The Executive is recommended to:

(1)               Note the PCT’s decision through its bidder shortlisting process to re- provide the new community hospital on the existing hospital site.

(2)               Continue to offer the full support of the District Council to the PCT in providing a new Bicester CommunityHospital as a fundamental part of the town’s infrastructure.

(3)               Urge the PCT to ensure service continuity throughout the redevelopment and to maximise the scope for future expansion possibilities in their design.

Recommendations approved

The Strategic Director Environment and Community submitted a report which sought consideration of the latest position regarding the procurement by Oxfordshire PCT of the re-provision of Bicester Hospital.

Councillor Sibley, Leader of the Labour Group, addressed Executive. Whilst commending the opportunity the Bicester Hospital re-provision represented for the residents of Bicester, he expressed disappointment at the decision of the PCT to retain the existing site. Councillor Sibley also thanked the Council for its ongoing support to the provision of a Community Hospital in Bicester.

In response to Councillor Sibley’s address, the Chairman confirmed that the council’s position about the need for a Community Hospital in Bicester remained unambiguous and the council would continue to support the matter.

Resolved

(1)               That the PCT’s decision through its bidder shortlisting process to re- provide the new community hospital on the existing hospital site be noted.

(2)               That the full support of the District Council continue to be offered to the PCT in providing a new Bicester Community Hospital as a fundamental part of the town’s infrastructure.

(3)               That the PCT be urged to ensure service continuity throughout the redevelopment and to maximise the scope for future expansion possibilities in their design.

Reasons

The Council has for many years expressed a strong preference for the new Bicester CommunityHospital to be located on the health village site within the SW Bicester development. It has argued that such a relatively large green field site provides greater opportunity for a high quality development and setting, the site due to its size offers the best opportunity for future expansion of healthcare services for a growing town, the health village concept has the potential to provide complementary adjacent health care services and service continuity during construction would be unaffected.

The PCT short listing decision effectively rules out this site option as the shortlisted bidding process, will now be concentrating only on the current hospital site.

With the major reforms and changes taking place in the health sector at present, particularly with the commissioning of services, there is the potential for a change of commissioning body part way through the procurement process. If this were to be the case then that would have to be managed at that time. In the meantime, both the process and the financial envelope for this procurement have been approved by the PCT and the Strategic Health Authority.

Arising from this position is the question over the future uses of the health village site at SW Bicester. The Section 106 Planning Agreement for that site in summary stipulates that the health village can be used for a community hospital, a GP Surgery and for the provision of other medical facility uses including that of an extra care elderly nursing home. It also requires the marketing of the site for these uses. As the first two of these health care uses are no longer required by the PCT, it can be expected that the marketing of the site will concentrate on other medical/health  ...  view the full minutes text for item 55