Plans approved for new hospital and medical centre in Shipston

Stratford District councillors approved the plans on March 17, which include building a replacement hospital (Including a Well-Being Centre), a medical centre, café, car parking and community garden following demolition of the existing hospital.

As well as bringing together the hospital and medical centre on the same site, the new development is going to offer a range of services including a Health and Wellbeing Centre and create shared spaces for community nursing teams and Shipston Home Nursing. There will also be outpatients and treatment rooms for physiotherapy, specialist nurses and other health professionals including mental health clinicians.

See the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) website for more information on the new healthcare facilities and health and wellbeing centre: https://www.swft.nhs.uk/our-hospitals/ellen-badger-hospital/ellen-badger-hospital-development-plans

The new build will have approximately 100 rooms, all varying sizes and functions with enhanced clinical spaces for hospital, community and primary care services.

The plans include a new updated facility for the Shipston Medical Centre, which will increase its clinical space by more than 30 per cent. The new building's design also includes larger waiting areas.

The existing building will initially serve as a day hospital, provide outpatient clinics and physiotherapy services and flexibility in the future to be used for other services.

Sophie Gilkes, director of development at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am pleased that we have been granted planning permission as the next step in our journey to deliver more integrated care in Warwickshire. Working so closely alongside our GP colleagues on this project has shown us the potential for new ways to integrate healthcare in a way that wouldn’t be possible in many other areas, so this is a really unique and exciting way of doing things.”

Dr Paul Daniel, GP at Shipston Medical Centre, said: “This proposal will enable us to offer updated facilities and additional clinic space so we’re really happy to hear that planning permission has been granted. The ability to work more closely with community teams and the voluntary sector is an opportunity to enhance our primary care services and offer more holistic, quality patient care.”

Mike Wells, SWFT elected governor and Shipston Resident, said: “Seeing the Trust and Medical Centre working closely together on this development demonstrates how the community really are at the centre of what they want to achieve. I hope everyone takes the opportunity to get involved and we are able to create a community owned Health and Wellbeing Centre driven by local people.”

Community feedback is welcome at every stage of the development, therefore if you have any comments or questions, we would encourage you to send them to [email protected]