NHS bosses in Bristol are carrying out an ‘estate review’ of where GP surgeries are and where new doctors’ and health centres might be required, as thousands of new homes are being built in the south of the city.
A spokesperson for the new Integrated Care Board, which brings together NHS and council bosses from Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, has told Bristol Live they ‘recognise there are areas for improvement’, with GP surgeries already under huge strain in the area.
Bristol Live reported earlier this year how local councillors and community groups had begun a huge consultation around the BS3 area of Ashton, Southville and Bedminster, because there is so much development taking place that some parts of the area would be seeing a 44 per cent increase in population in the next few years.
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Much of that housing has either been built or is under construction, and the main multi-site GP practice - Bridge View Medical - has been experiencing huge demand. Back in July 2021, Bristol Live reported an increase in complaints about long waiting times and call queues to get to see a GP, and the surgery has since implemented a new system, but the challenge is still there.
Last year, South Bristol MP Karin Smyth said she feared health services would not be able to cope with the influx of new residents in South Bristol, and urged the city council and NHS bosses to work together to find solutions. But there has been no announcement of any new provision being planned or opened since the covid pandemic, and since work began to build the thousands of new homes and student accommodation blocks in the BS3 area.
When Bristol City Council published its ‘masterplan’ for the Whitehouse Lane regeneration project - which will see around 2,000 new homes built on the industrial estates to the east of Bedminster Parade - there was no provision for a new GP surgery outlined, and the council’s only mention of the impact on health services in the area was one line referencing the fact the council would inform the NHS that the new homes were coming.
Last year, NHS bosses remained tight-lipped about the challenges of the rapidly increasing population of Bedminster and Ashton Gate, and this week, no one from the regional ICB (integrated care board) would be interviewed about the issue. But when asked what the plan was for health provision to meet new demand in BS3, an ICB spokesperson did release a statement, saying that they were working on it.
“We are closely monitoring proposed housing development across South Bristol and the wider area and are in discussion with Bristol City Council over the potential impact on local healthcare provision,” he said.
“We know that, alongside recruitment, further development of local general practice estates has the potential to unlock a significant increase in appointments. That’s why we are currently carrying out an estate review process across our entire area to reflect development needs and help us to prioritise our limited budget.
“It’s important to note that general practice is changing. Practices are working hard to make sure everyone can access the right support when they need it; whether that’s online or face-to-face. The GP surgery team is growing and patients may be offered an appointment with a specialist such as an advanced nurse practitioner, physiotherapist, or clinical pharmacist rather than a GP.
“However, we also recognise there are some areas for improvement. We are continuing to share learning between practices about what works well, and are working to support practices to deliver high-quality services to patients,” he added.
This week, the cabinet member for housing at Bristol City Council directly asked the development firm proposing to knock down the Broadwalk Shopping Centre in Knowle and build 850 new flats in its place if they could include a GP surgery or health centre in their plans.
Just before Christmas, a Bristol Live investigation revealed that more than £8 million would be given by the developers of the Bedminster Green regeneration project to council chiefs as part of the Community Infrastructure Levy scheme. But of those millions, only a fraction would end up available to improve services in Bedminster, leading to a call from local councillor Tony Dyer for the council to look again at what would happen to that money, and for it to be invested in the NHS locally.
Read more:
- How one area of Bristol will see its population increase by 44 per cent as huge amount of development planned
Bristol GP group responds to patients' frustration amid 'challenging' pressures
- Calls for £8m Bedminster Green council cash to go to NHS
- South Bristol's GPs and schools won't cope with 12,000 new homes claims MP
- Council chief tells 'Redcatch Quarter' developers 7% affordable homes 'isn't good enough'
- South Bristol neighbourhood with 2,000 homes pictured in new CGIs
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