Work to start to create older adult healthcare hub at historic Sutton Cottage Hospital
Work is due to start on an £8.5 million scheme to transform Sutton Cottage Hospital into an integrated hub for healthcare services for older people.
Due to open to the public in the winter of 2025, the new facility will deliver:
- extensive redevelopment of the 125-year-old Sutton Cottage Hospital site as a ‘one stop’ healthcare hub for over-65s in north Birmingham;
- integrated healthcare delivered holistically between secondary, community and primary care (eg. respiratory, diabetes, podiatry, dietetics, chronic kidney disease, frailty, musculoskeletal services);
- community diagnostics to support integrated care and alternative pathways to acute hospitals (eg. X-ray, ECG, ultrasound, spirometry, echocardiography, phlebotomy);
- relocation of an established local general practice to support integrated care model;
- additional clinic and treatment rooms to support surge capacity and other ‘seasonal’ demands eg. winter pressures response and vaccinations;
- inclusion of voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector activity through personalised, non-clinical sessions.
The Sutton Cottage hub is part of extensive collaboration between health and social care providers to provide more joined-up services. A key benefit of the initiative is that patients should be able to see more than one specialist in a single visit, delivering a more personalised diagnostic experience and a more holistic preventative approach thanks to signposting to community advice and support.
The development will deliver increased capacity to see patients, improving access to care and reducing pressure on acute care services and demand for GP appointments as a gateway to primary care.
BCHC chief executive Richard Kirby said: “I am delighted that the redevelopment of Sutton Cottage Hospital is moving forward."
“There are multiple benefits - patients will access more joined-up care and receive more personalised and holistic support. The model will also help our ongoing focus to reduce acute admissions and help people stay out of hospital."
Notes
Onsite work is due to start in December 2024 with the aim of opening to the public in the winter of 2025. The project team will do everything possible to minimise disruption; but there may be some pressures on transport and access in the vicinity of the site.
Community services for children and families have already been relocated to James Preston and Four Oaks health centres while a number of services for adults that have continued at Sutton Cottage will be delivered from temporary accommodation, as close to Sutton Cottage as possible in order to assure continuity of provision. Twenty-two of the total 50 spaces in in Duke Street car park have been allocated for that purpose and BCHC has also rented a further 19 parking spaces in South Parade car park for staff use.