An under-used health centre in Widnes is being reconfigured to deliver urgent care services so that local people have a real alternative to attending the nearest Accident and Emergency which is eight miles away.The project is expected to drive a projected £3m of system savings over the next three years. Widnes in Cheshire has one of the lowest levels of car ownership in the country, with the closest Accident and Emergency department over eight miles away. Coupled with the general call to help reduce the pressure on the acute sector and cut Accident and Emergency admissions by 15 per cent over five years, NHS Halton CCG identified a need to provide a real primary care-facing alternative to Accident and Emergency, while also integrating services like mental health, providing wellbeing services, social activities and opportunities for evidence-based brief interventions.
Taking a strategic approach to the use of NHS estate from a commissioning perspective has been key to moving the project forward - an approach that has long been overlooked by many CCGs. Through this work with Community Health Partnerships (CHP) and the local LIFT Company (Renova), Dave Sweeney of NHS Halton CCG commented: “our eyes were really opened when we saw that taking a strategic view of estates, and making it a central part of commissioning, would mean saving money and improving patient care.”
All three partners have developed a strong working relationship and a collaborative approach. Together they created an estate plan, overlaying the NHS and Halton Borough Council plans, and undertook public consultation spanning both of the two towns making up Halton. As part of this work, the existing Widnes Health Care Resource Centre was identified as a key site to support commissioning plans and providing a solution to the requirement for additional urgent care services within the local community. With available capacity in the building, CHP and Renova seized the opportunity to work with the CCG to put more services in there, get best value and use the building to its full potential.
Once fully operational, it’s estimated that the project will translate to £3m of system savings for the local health system over the next three years, a 15 per cent reduction in A&E attendances over five years, and a year on year reduction in non-elective admissions through A&E over the same period.
Along with generating savings and reducing A&E attendances, the new NHS Widnes Urgent Care Centre will provide expert treatment with no appointment needed. It is open 365 days a year access from early in the morning until late at night with expert diagnostics including access to X-ray and specialist staff to treat children. The approach has already brought improved alliances with GPs and Practices.