Freedom of Information response confirms no discussions held regarding Priory Surgery move to Lowfields site

With the NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (YCCG), which buys services for people in York, heading for a £24 million overspend this year, the spotlight is being turned on some major investment decisions.

The Estates and Technology Tranformation Fund provides investment for General Practices to improve premises and technology.

Grants can be between 30% and 100% of the capital cost.

Part of the purpose of this programme is to “help practices establish infrastructure which enables sufficient routine appointments at evenings and weekends to meet local demand alongside effective access to out of hours and urgent care services”

All schemes have to be implemented by March 2019.

On 2nd June 2016 a local commissioning committee meeting in York decided which projects to bid for. Some have since been added to the approved national list.

The national improvement list for 2016/17 authorises funding for extension work at the Front St (Copmanthorpe), Posterngate and Priory (Cornlands Road) surgeries. The Cornlands Road scheme could cost around £800,000 and would fund an extension for a “new patient lounge” and facilities to “manage long term conditions”.

Four new build schemes are also listed for York.  They are located at Wheldrake, Jorvik/Gillygate South (Terry’s site), Huntington and Priory (Burnholme Health and Well Being campus).

In deciding its priorities, the YCCG had to observe national policies, They are set out here click

The guidance says “It is not anticipated, at this stage, that a further national round of submissions will be offered as it is expected the fund will be fully committed and the pipeline fully populated following this second invitation for schemes”.

The situation at the Priory practice on Cornlands Road came to the fore in the autumn when the York Council agreed to allocate a site at Lowfields for the practice to move into.

Priory had already been working with the Council on providing health facilities at the Burnholme school site on the other side of the City.

Although NHS documents (see below) reveal that the current Cornlands Road premises do require improvement, the local YCCG nodded through the extension scheme in June.

In a response to a Freedom of Information request the YCCG says,

 “The CCG and practice have had no meetings about the relocation” of the surgery to Lowfields.

So, it seems that – with the deadline for funding applications now passed – there is little chance of a health centre being built on the reserved site at Lowfields in the foreseeable future.

…. and there is now even less justification for building on the Lowfields playing fields!