New GP-led ‘super surgery’ will be located in Yeovil.
The decision - made by Somerset Primary Care Trust - will bring a £1million health centre to the town, which will open seven days a week, including Bank Holidays, from 8am to 8pm.
The additional health care will be offered on both a walk-in and booked basis, regardless of whether the person is registered, which is thought will greatly improve access to healthcare for local people and take the strain off of Yeovil District Hospital’s busy casualty department.
Cllr Tim Carroll, Leader of South Somerset District Council says, “This is very positive news for both Yeovil and Somerset as a whole. Yeovil as South Somerset’s largest town has a great deal of new housing planned for the immediate future and the population will increase significantly. There are areas of high health and social care need, and all of these factors will benefit from additional new and convenient health services.
“Yeovil is expanding and it needs the supporting infrastructure to match, and additional resources for new health services on top of what is already available can only be a good thing.
“We are exceptionally pleased that the centre will be within Yeovil, we have already expressed our views to the PCT on what we see as priorities for the centre - these being services for the elderly and at risk of needing emergency care, services for families and children, obesity management, stop smoking services and health promotions.”
It was decided that Yeovil would be the most suitable location given the strong local support, the level of health need in the community, and the town’s planned rate of expansion over the next ten years compared to the steadier growth in Taunton and Bridgewater.
The centre - which is hoped will integrate services normally provided in a hospital such as pharmacy, diagnostic services, social care, and information for carers - would introduce extra provision for the county rather than replace any existing services.
David Slack, Director of Primary Care Development with Somerset Primary Care Trust said: “The PCT is engaged in very substantial investment in GP and community health services in Somerset over the next ten years. This includes an extra £4 million invested each year in new building or refurbishing of twenty GP surgeries across the county.
“In terms of the new GP Led Health Centre in Yeovil, we see this as part of an integrated strategy to improve primary care medical services. Our aim is to ensure that we meet the needs of an expanding population, addressing health inequalities and providing more choice to people, who up to now might have only accessed healthcare when they are ill, rather than getting the necessary advice and support they need stay healthy.“
Cllr Carroll added, “The investment gives us hope for the future improvement of other, existing health centres in South Somerset such as Wincanton.”
The development will be funded from additional investment and will not disadvantage the town’s existing GP surgeries.
Somerset PCT will now work towards a tender process for surgeries to run the new centre, with the additional services available to the public from April next year.