Improving Health In South Wandsworth

---

NHS Wandsworth launched a public consultation to ask local people for their views

 ‘Improving health in south Wandsworth’ explains NHS Wandsworth’s plans for a radical redesign of health services - using a polysystem approach.  This means a network of existing GP surgeries, dentists, pharmacies and community services all working together to make healthcare easier to access, and more convenient for local people.    

Around 130,000 people live in south Wandsworth, each with their own health needs. For example:

• 1,800 babies were born in 2007
• Around 10% of people are over 65 years old
• Black and minority ethnic groups make up one in four of the population
• One in four people smoke
• Cancer and cardiovascular disease, including stroke, are the biggest killers
• One in five ten  and eleven-year-olds are obese
• Men living in Balham can expect to live up to five years longer than men living in Tooting; this difference in life expectancy is approximately one year in women

 

A polyclinic hub will be at the heart of the polysystem by providing a new health centre to which GP surgeries and other health organisations will be linked.  As well as offering GP services from 8am to 8pm seven days a week, it will provide many of the services available at hospitals, such as x-rays and blood tests as well as treatment for an injury that is not life threatening.  There will also be a much wider range of support services such as mental health clinics and independent living support.

NHS Wandsworth is proposing to develop three polyclinic hubs in south Wandsworth:

• A hospital based polyclinic including an urgent care centre at St George’s Hospital in Tooting

• A polyclinic hub at Brocklebank Health Centre
• A polyclinic hub at Balham Health Centre

 

Public meetings held across south Wandsworth will give the opportunity for local people to hear more about the detail of these proposals and ask questions directly to NHS staff.  Questionnaires will also be distributed throughout the local community including at GP surgeries, health centres and public libraries. It can also be filled in online at www.wandsworth.nhs.uk .

Dave Finch, Joint Medical Director, NHS Wandsworth said: “We are asking local people, GPs, other healthcare professionals and our staff how we should move forward with our proposals to develop new health services and polyclinic hubs in south Wandsworth. For example we would like to know what services are most needed at which centres.

 

“Our proposals are built from feedback we received from over 1,400 local people at the end of last year in ‘Let’s talk health in south Wandsworth’.  We want to thank everyone who gave us their views of existing local health services last year and want to encourage them to take the time to now tell us what they think of our exciting proposals to make healthcare in south Wandsworth more convenient and accessible for local people.”

 

Feedback received from this formal consultation will help NHS Wandsworth how best to take these proposals forward over the next few years in a way that best meets the needs and expectations of local people.

 

June 19, 2009