Sale of Bolingbroke will improve care for Wandsworth residents
St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust is moving ahead with plans to sell the site of the former Bolingbroke Hospital within the current 2010/11 financial year. The sale is expected to raise millions of pounds which will be invested in improving healthcare for the 1.3 million people that St George’s serves across Wandsworth and southwest London.
The trust has identified key priorities for future investment following the Bolingbroke sale. These include developing a new urgent care centre on the main St George’s Hospital site in Tooting in partnership with NHS Wandsworth, the local primary care trust, and GPs and also expanding the resuscitation department where major trauma patients are admitted.
The trust has a responsibility to raise as much money as possible from the sale of the site and has been encouraged by the interest already shown by a range of organisations and developers. This includes Wandsworth Borough Council who are in discussions with the trust about acquiring the site for a new school development.
David Astley, St George’s chief executive said: “St George’s is committed to providing excellent healthcare services for its patients in modern surroundings. It is therefore important that the Bolingbroke site is sold quickly and for the best price possible so that we can invest the money raised in improving our services.”
Both St George’s and NHS Wandsworth are keen to fulfil the commitment made to local residents that space will be available in any new Bolingbroke development for future healthcare services. NHS Wandsworth and local GPs are already working together on plans to include GP and community services on the Bolingbroke site once it has been sold.
Dr David Finch, Battersea GP and Medical Director of NHS Wandsworth said: “We are working closely with St George’s to make sure that any planning application for the Bolingbroke includes space for NHS services. In the future we would like to see a facility that provides GP and community services which fits in with the needs of local people in this area.”
Notes to editors
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