Questions and answers
What services will the GP surgery offer?
The GP surgery will continue to offer face-to-face, telephone and video appointments for patients, giving the patient the choice of how they want to access their doctor.
There will also be opportunities for more clinical services such as eye care, wound management clinics, management of chronic diseases, antenatal care, children’s immunisation, stop smoking support, family planning, memory and dementia support, to name a few.
The centre will also be able to offer social prescribing – to help members of the community with loneliness, depression, anxiety and housing issues – and we hope to work with The Eden Centre and the leisure centre in these areas.
There will be extended clinic times at the GP surgery to accommodate a variety of individual needs and the surgery will continue to offer Saturday appointments once a month.
KCHFT will continue to run the minor injury unit offer as well as offer out-patient clinics, therapy services, foot care and health visitors, to name a few.
The new building will allow NHS professionals to collaborate much easier because we will all be under one roof – it’s a great opportunity for NHS professionals to work together – it will also cut down on unnecessary travel between clinics for the patient too.
Is there still going to be a minor injury service at the new building?
Yes and this will continue to be run by KCHFT.
At the new health hub, will it be possible to have IV treatments such as antibiotics that patients might currently have to travel to Pembury for but not need admission?
The opportunities with this new building are great and the project board, and in particular KCHFT’s clinical services director, is discussing with the main hospitals what other clinics and services can be offered at the new building.
What mental health provision will be provided at the new building?
Mental health is a key priority for Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group and there are significant transformational plans for community mental health services during the next three years so it is difficult to be definitive about what the mental health will look like when the building opens. However, in general terms, the plan is to integrate mental health with primary care networks (PCN) so it is likely that you could expect to see mental health practitioners as part of the PCN team at Edenbridge.
Do the plans take into account 1,000 new homes to be built in next two/three years?
The initial plans for the design and size of the building scoped for a 20 per cent growth in the local population over the next few years. We want to future proof the building and have made sure there is room for services to grow to meet that demand.
What will happen to the current hospital site?
This site will be sold by NHS Property Services (NHSPS) once the new building is complete and the old hospital vacated. Discussions have started between Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS England and NHSPS about the sale of the building; funds of the sale will be used towards the new project.
What will happen to the war memorial?
No decision can be made until the new centre is complete and services from the old hospital have been relocated. We will be working with the War Memorial Trust and Edenbridge Town Council at the appropriate time.
How can the public get involved with the memorial garden and the artwork inside the building?
The garden area has been identified on site. We are working with a landscape designer and local people to lead the design process and create some plans to be presented to the town. We have been speaking to the League of Friends, patient and public groups about how they and local people can get involved with the design, build and continued maintenance of the gardens.
We want community groups and families in Edenbridge to get involved with the artwork and how to do this will be shared later this year as the project progresses.
Will you be inviting qualified, complementary therapists to make use of the health and wellbeing centre to aid with physical and mental wellbeing?
There will be rooms available to hire for complimentary therapies and community groups.
Can I hire a room at the health centre when it opens?
Yes, we want the building to be used as much as possible by the whole community and in use throughout the day, evenings and weekends.
What options are there for travelling to the new building?
Both train stations in the town are a 10 minute walk from the new centre and there is a bus stop on the road. Bike parking will be installed at the site plus electric car parking charging points. Mobility scooter parking will also be considered. The Edenbridge Voluntary Transport Service will be able to continue its work for the local community based out of the new building.
Will the building be embracing green technology?
KCHFT is passionate about sustainability and the new building will feature solar panels, electric car charging points and bike racks.
Will you use local builders?
The contractor has a commitment to create job opportunities for local people during the project.
Will there be an office for the social workers to use?
The building will be a base for all health and social care professionals. The project board’s aspiration is for as many different services as possible to be provided in the new centre and it is definitely within the space and capabilities of the new build to accommodate this.
I'm really worried about flooding in the town. The building will now cover land which previously would have self-drained. Where is the water going to go?
A soakaway area at the far end of the site is a part of the plans and will be used as a drainage area.
What is the plan for the dental service adjacent to the GP surgery? Is that moving too?
Although the dental surgery was originally invited to be part of the new building it will not be moving out of its current base.
Where will inpatients go when the cottage hospital closes?
The model of care is changing as more people want to be treated in their own homes. KCHFT is a front runner when it comes to outreach care such as its rapid response service and home treatment service. There has never been a greater need for flexibility and the need to look at other solutions to an inpatient stay in hospital including virtual wards; the feedback we receive from patients is they prefer to be treated at home.
Will the commemorative plaques-both inside and outside and outside of the current hospital-be transferred to the new centre and accompanied with brief explanations?
This is a wonderful idea and one that will be explored as the build progresses.
Will there be a pharmacy in the new building?
Edenbridge Medical Practice will be applying to move the dispensary to the new building so patients will be able to get their prescription medicine dispensed on site, if they qualify as dispensing patients.
The dispensary is not a pharmacy and will not sell medicines (which don’t need prescription) or other healthcare products.
As these works are likely to take a year and there is only one road for site access, what disruption do you expect to the whole town?
Traffic levels will be under constant review to make sure the least amount of disruption to the town’s traffic flow.