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An outline business case is on the verge of submission for a new health centre in a Suffolk market town that is set to be of "national significance". The Saxmundham Health One Stop Shop is being envisaged to ensure patients can see the same GP, unless there is good reason and to bring carers under one roof, including the district nurse, health visitor and social worker to ensure continuity of care. If approved, the health centre would replace the current Saxmundham Health surgery in Lambsale Meadow and Dr John Havard, a GP there, said meetings had taken place with senior planning officers at East Suffolk Council in relation to submitting a planning application.
'Strong public support' for new Saxmundham health centre The health centre idea was originally mooted 20 years ago, but was ditched due to financial problems, despite the then Suffolk Coastal District Council receiving 512 letters of support. However, since then the idea of integrating social care and community services has gained greater influence and Dr Havard said the time was right for "a different way of working" to alleviate the pressure on hospitals. More procedures and investigations could be done in the community, with facilities for endoscopy, eye procedures, echocardiograms and ultrasound, along with MRI and CT scanners.
Suffolk Coastal MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter visited Saxmundham Health on Friday, Pictured left to right are Dr John Havard (GP), Jenny Riddell-Carpenter MP, Steve Davenport (practice manager), Dr Clare Craik (GP) and Dr Maria Wallis (GP) (Image: Submitted) He added: "It feels like (at last) we are swimming with the tide as neighbourhood practices develop all around the country. "We need more GPs and longer opening hours seven days a week so patients can easily get the care they need locally. New community practice will replace Saxmundham Health "Although that sounds horrendously expensive, we are currently wasting billions on unnecessary hospital care and admissions as well as out-of-hours care like walk-in centres, urgent treatment centres, out-of-hours bases and even 111.
" On Friday (March 21), Suffolk Coastal MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter visited Saxmundham Health to meet staff and discussed the One Stop Shop. She said: “Saxmundham Health is a model of what great community health care looks like – and the proposed ‘One Stop Shop’ that Dr Havard and colleagues are trying to deliver is an exemplar for future healthcare – better for patients, better value for money, and better for the community.”.
