New health centre is a step closer

SOMETIMES it feels like building a new Thornbury Health Centre is a never-ending project.

The town is growing. We have more residents and more demand for health services than ever before. Moving forward with the new health facilities has never been more important.

A redeveloped health centre will provide greater primary care and outpatient services, enhanced mental health support, more GP practices, social care and NHS beds, and a proactive ‘frailty hub’, which would focus on the elderly community receiving care in their own homes.

The community in Thornbury, Alveston, and the surrounding towns and villages will be able access the care they need closer to home, which will in turn would reduce demand on Southmead

Hospital.

A few weeks ago, I met with the new Minister for Health, Lord Markham, to push for the funding we need to rebuild Thornbury Health Centre. I made clear the need for greater out-patient care and health service expansion and pushed the minister on the renewed timeline for the redevelopment.

The minister confirmed that we have made a strong case, and that a decision on the bid can be expected in the coming months.

Even before becoming MP, I have fought to secure the redevelopment of Thornbury Health Centre.

I have raised the matter in Parliament, have written to and met with multiple Health Secretaries and ministers, and led important discussions with members of South Gloucestershire Council, our local Integrated Care Board and North Bristol NHS Trust.

The campaign took a step forward back in 2019, when I secured a commitment from the then Secretary of State for Health, promising the government’s ongoing support to deliver this redevelopment and co-author our next bid for funding.

Since then, we have teamed up with the government’s health experts to develop a bid for £13.3 million to take the project to the next level.

We leapt another hurdle last year, when South Gloucestershire Council purchased the land of the former Thornbury Hospital site, which has paved the way for the project to commence.

If our current local bid is successful, the project will progress to the next all-important stage, including a masterplan and outline business case, with physical work set to take place in 2025.

Redeveloping Thornbury Health Centre is a key part of our positive plan for health.

I have made the case to the Minister that our community needs this redevelopment more than ever before, and I look forward to hearing the outcome of our bid.