Rebuild of four community hospitals hits stalemate

Plans for new community hospitals at Leek Moorlands, Bradwell, Haywood Hospital and a new site in Longton have paused

A £52 million scheme to rebuild four community hospitals in Staffordshire has hit a "stalemate" because of new NHS funding rules.

Plans for integrated care hubs (ICHs) at Leek Moorlands, Bradwell and Haywood Hospital, along with a new site in Longton, were agreed by local NHS commissioners in 2019.

But NHS England has yet to give the green light to proceed, as there is "currently no funding route available".

NHS England said it was working closely with the trust to find the best way of securing funds for the hubs.

However, Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT), which is leading on the project, said the health service had "no appetite" to sign off the plans.

Each of the hubs would bring together more than 40 health and social care services in modern, purpose-built facilities, with the aim of moving care closer to residents.

Adam McKeown, director of delivery and transformation at MPFT, told a health and care scrutiny committee meeting at Staffordshire County Council that new NHS finance rules were behind the delay.

He said: “We’ve got to the point where outline business cases have been developed for the ICHs, but there is currently no appetite to sign those off from NHS England.

“So we’re in the position which we didn’t want to be in, where we have business cases, we have an operating model, and have undertaken a number of public engagement exercises, but at this stage we do not have permission to move forward to a full business case process and spend any of the money."

'Not entirely fit for purpose'

“We’ve tried to be as pragmatic as we possibly can, with the current sites we do have. At this stage, it’s not a good message – essentially we’re at a stalemate.

"We can’t move forward with the build. We are currently doing everything we can to utilise an estate which is not entirely fit for purpose.”

Mr McKeown said the trust was now awaiting decisions in relation to NHS finances for 2025/26, along with a longer term settlement based on the NHS 10-year plan.

Leek councillor Charlotte Atkins asked why the ICH programme couldn't proceed without major building works at existing hospitals.

Mr McKeown said there was a limit to what services could be provided from the older buildings, and the proposed operating model was reliant on new facilities.

Funding rule change

NHS England told the BBC that after the plan for the integrated care hubs was approved by the trust in 2019, the NHS capital regime changed - which means new funding rules limits how much money the trust can spend on capital schemes.

A spokesperson said: "We continue to work closely with the trust to find the best way of securing funding for these hubs."