21 December 2023

Proposals to reorganise the way some NHS services are provided across Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust would still see most people who attend the Winchester A&E department continue to get the treatment they need there.

 Under the proposals, which are currently out to public consultation, between £700 million and £900 million would be invested in hospital services to transform healthcare for communities across Hampshire. They would see significant investment in refurbishing the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, and a brand-new specialist acute hospital on the current Basingstoke hospital site or near Junction 7 of the M3.

Both hospitals would have new urgent treatment centres, which would be led by doctors and provide care 24/7. The centres would see and treat around 60 per cent of people who currently attend the hospitals’ A&E departments.

Urgent treatment centres provide a wide range of care for all but the most serious illness and injury, to people of all ages including babies. This includes serious but not life-threatening emergencies and injuries, suspected broken bones, cuts, stomach pains, rashes, high temperatures in children and adults, and urgent mental health concerns.

Dr Nick Ward, Interim Chief Medical Officer at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Under all the options we are currently consulting on, Winchester hospital would have a 24-hour, seven day a week doctor-led urgent treatment centre able to meet people’s urgent care needs, as well as a same day emergency care department. Only the sickest patients, with the most serious conditions, would go to the new hospital’s emergency department, with many taken by ambulance.

“The same day emergency care department would mean that patients who might otherwise be admitted to hospital can be quickly assessed, diagnosed, and treated without being admitted to a ward, and if clinically safe to do so, will go home the same day their care is provided.”

Dr Lara Alloway, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, said: “We have worked closely with colleagues at South Central Ambulance Service as a key partner in the proposals to ensure that anyone requiring an ambulance is able to receive the highest quality emergency care, in the most appropriate place for their needs.

“Some services, such as treatment for people having suspected heart attacks, are already provided solely from Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital. Furthermore, under these proposals, patients would experience reduced waiting times for both emergency and urgent care, because bringing services together on one site would enable us to have more consultant cover than we do currently, speeding up diagnosis and treatment for patients.”

“These proposals would help us to consistently provide better care for people by ensuring we have the right groups of services and specialists located together for when people need them.”

Get involved and have your say

Patients, local people, and NHS staff are being encouraged to get involved in the public consultation and give their views on all the proposals, which include:  

  • building a brand new hospital on the current Basingstoke hospital site or near Junction 7 of the M3 for specialist and emergency care, such as strokes, heart attacks, trauma (treating life and limb threatening injuries), emergency surgery, obstetrician-led maternity care, and separate children’s emergency department
  • significantly investing in the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester which would focus on planned operations and procedures, and provide a 24/7 doctor-led urgent treatment centre that would see and treat around 60% of the patients who currently go to Winchester A&E, same day emergency care services, and midwife-led birthing unit
  • continuing to deliver day-to-day hospital services such as outpatients, diagnostics, and therapy services from both the main hospital sites

 The consultation document, which provides more detail, is now available at www.hampshiretogether.nhs.uk.  

A number of online and in person listening events have been organised. For full details and to book a place at one of the events, visit www.hampshiretogether.nhs.uk or call 0300 561 0905. 

The consultation is open until midnight on 17 March.