27 October 2020

Two locations have been shortlisted as possible sites for a potential new acute centralised hospital to serve the population of north and mid Hampshire.

Work to identify potential sites for a new hospital has been ongoing since October 2019, when the government announced that north and mid Hampshire would be one of the areas to benefit from funding as part of the government’s Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) to build 40 new facilities before 2030.

After a comprehensive search for sites across Alton, Andover, Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Winchester and the surrounding areas was carried out, two locations have been identified as potential sites for a proposed new acute centralised hospital to serve the area as part of the Hampshire Together: Modernising our Hospitals and Health Services programme.

The first is located between Basingstoke and Winchester, near to junction seven of the M3, with the other being based on the current site of Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital.

These locations were identified following an extensive site selection study, which was carried out across the entire Hampshire Hospitals catchment area to identify suitable parcels of land. Pieces of land that were large enough to house a hospital and health campus were then ranked according to how they performed against a total of 36 weighted criteria before negotiations began to assess their availability, price and the current owners’ willingness to sell.

Alex Whitfield, chief executive of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which leads the Hampshire Together programme alongside Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership of Clinical Commissioning Groups and West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “After an exhaustive site selection process, I’m delighted that we have two site options for a possible new acute centralised hospital to serve mid and north Hampshire.

“Whilst we have identified two possible sites, no final decisions have been taken and we look forward to talking to our staff and the public about our proposals for the future when we go out to public consultation early next year. We are looking forward to discussing the pros and cons of each of the possible locations as part of the formal consultation process.

“But this is not just about a building, we are using this as an opportunity to think about how we provide health services which will meet the needs of our population for decades to come. We have already announced six potential clinical service options and further work is underway to develop a shortlist for consultation, where service and site options come together.

“As well as the location of any new hospital, we are also looking forward to speaking to staff, patients and the public about the way we propose to work together to deliver health, wellbeing and care services in the future.

“This includes making significant investment at Royal Hampshire County Hospital, in Winchester, as well as exploring opportunities to provide additional services in other locations across north and mid Hampshire, giving all of our patients access to high-quality, timely and sustainable health care as close to home as possible.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

  • Work to identify potential sites has been ongoing since October 2019, when the government announced that north and mid Hampshire would be one of the areas to benefit from funding as part of the government’s Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP).
  • An extensive site selection study was carried out by planning consultants across the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust catchment area, including Alton, Andover, Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Winchester and the surrounding areas to identify parcels of land covering an area of 40 to 50 hectares, the amount of space needed to provide a centralised acute hospital and associated facilities to meet the needs of the growing population.
  • A total of nine sites that fitted these initial requirements were identified. These included sites in Basingstoke, Winchester, Micheldever, Sutton Scotney and Andover.
  • The nine sites were ranked according to how they performed against a total of 36 weighted site selection criteria. The top five ranked sites were taken forward to the next stage.
  • The next stage was a land availability investigation undertaken by commercial agents with the owners contacted to establish whether they were willing to sell, how much the land might cost and whether the land could be available in the immediate future.
  • Hampshire Together involves NHS and social care providers across Alton, Andover, Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Winchester and the surrounding areas. It is being led by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership of Clinical Commissioning Groups and West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group, in partnership with Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
  • The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership of Clinical Commissioning Groups and West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group are responsible for planning and commissioning NHS services across north and mid Hampshire. This involves assessing local needs, deciding priorities and strategies, and then buying services on behalf of the population from providers.
  • Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides acute hospital services at Andover War Memorial Hospital, Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and Royal Hampshire County Hospital, as well as some services either at or close to patients’ homes.