Now Brent CCG gets into NHS estate management and development to further the STP

Last week Chris Hopson, Chief Executive of NHS Providers, warned that poor consultation over the NHS  Sustainability and Transformation plans could cause mass opposition on the streets that would scupper the plans LINK while Diane Abbott has referred to the STPs, quotuing that for NW London, as a 'dagger pointed at the heart of the NHS LINK.

One area that has not received much press coverage or comment is the management of the sites and buildings belonging to various parts of the NHS (see table above).

A report LINK going before the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday from the Brent Clinical Commissioing Group and NHS Propery Services, entitled the NHS Estate in Brent,  puts forward plans for various parts of the estate. They see the management of property as an 'enabler' to 'delivering' the STP and Shaping a Healthier Future. In particular they look at increasing the use of void space in the Willesden Centre and Monks Park Centre but also have far reaching plans elsewhere:

The CCG estates strategy identifies three site locations to be developed to support the local hospital and hub strategy. In order to maximise the use of the existing estate the CCG estates plans focus on creating out of hospital Hubs at Wembley Centre for Health and Care, Willesden Centre for Health and Care and Central Middlesex Hospital.

The three Hub locations were identified following an assessment of the main areas of deprivation and service demand across the borough. The CCG also took into account the forecast population growth.

The map below shows the forecast population growth in Brent to 2025.

Brent Population Growth 2015-25

This indicates the greatest population growth density to be forecast in the south west of the borough, suggesting the greatest health care demand in the areas are around the intended Hub locations at Wembley Centre for Health and Care and Central Middlesex Hospital

Wembley is the area with the second biggest capacity for new homes within North West London (11,500 new homes).

The Park Royal development on the border with Ealing has the potential for 1,500 new homes and new development proposals in Alperton will impact on south Brent and north Ealing, creating an increased need for primary care provision around Central Middlesex Hospital.

The majority of out of hospital services will be delivered from the Central Middlesex Hospital site which will become a Hub+. The Hub+ will offer specialist services commissioned for the whole borough alongside standard Hub services such as primary care, community services, one stop assessments and treatments and access to more complex diagnostics for the local population.

The Hubs at Wembley Centre for Health and Care and Willesden Centre for Health and Care will offer the standard Hub services for the local population.

The CCG is working with London North West Hospital Trust to develop a business case for the future configuration of Central Middlesex Hospital which will include the provision of a GP practice. The business case is due to be completed in summer 2017 and will then be submitted to NHS England for approval. It is anticipated that the GP practice (subject to commercial arrangements being in place) will be in occupation late 2017.

The business cases for Willesden Centre for Health and Care and Wembley Centre for Health and Care will follow after Central Middlesex Hospital. The aim is to maximise utilisation of both sites to deliver local services to the population in the area.

The CCG is working in collaboration with Brent Council to commission a property consultant to further their plans:  

  The One Public Estate (OPE) initiative is being delivered in partnership by the Cabinet Office Government Property Unit and the Local Government Association. The initiative provides practical and technical support and funding to Councils to deliver ambitious property-focused programmes in collaboration with central government and other public sector partners.

Brent Council, in partnership with the CCG, has made an application for funding towards the co-ordination of a data capture exercise and to undertake the public sector and health review. In working together to deliver a common local public sector estates vision, Brent Council officers working with the CCG have developed a project brief to be used for the purposes of commissioning a professional property consultant if the application is successful.

The projects identified are:

1.     Northwick Park Hospital Brent in partnership with the London North West Hospitals Trust, the University of Westminster and Network Homes, aims to rationalise services and resource and unlock development land to facilitate hospital redevelopment, new homes and improved services for the community. 


2.     Church End Growth Area Brent’s bid aims to enable the creation of a community hub that will attract public services and businesses to the local area, the key emphasis is ensuring that the public services and businesses provide positive services that will build capacity and benefit the local community. 


3.     Wembley The reduction in staff numbers and more efficient use of office space in Brent’s Civic Centre in Wembley Park, provides an opportunity to look more closely at how local public services may better work together, including a review of the area surround the Wembley Centre for Health and Care. 


Vale Farm area

4.     Vale Farm, Brent’s aim is to deliver a new multi-purpose leisure centre, new homes and possibly a new secondary school in an area that is primarily public open space and metropolitan open land, a feasibility study is proposed to identify opportunities for integration between local public sector services, particularly the Metropolitan Police, Brent CCG and the Council. 


A further bid will be brought forward for:

Brondesbury Road (including the Kilburn Square Clinic). These premises comprise 11-15 Brondesbury Road; which provides a home for community mental health teams. The site is Brent owned, but subject to shared usage with Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, (CNWL), (although current occupation circa 90% CNWL, 10% Brent). The model for the delivery of such services is under review, and is likely to result in a relocation of staff from the building.

The report states:

The CCG will build on the plans already in place to increase patient, user and carer engagement, which is essential for success as it makes the changes outlined in this paper. The CCG will do this in conjunction with the Council where this is appropriate.

Given widespread dissatisfaction with consultation on Shaping a Healthier Future and the NW London Sustainability Transformation Plan the Brent public may need quite a lot of persuading that these plans are in their interest.