PETERSFIELD Hospital is set to become a health hub with services run by local doctors; one aim is to help relieve pressure on swamped Accident and Emergency units at bigger hospitals.

The hospital in Swan Street was opened in 1991 and is run by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, who want to make it the area centre for their Better Local Care programme.

So far about 10 East Hampshire GPs practices have signed up to the programme, including The Grange surgery off The Causeway.

Dr Kathryn Bannell of The Grange is the clinical lead for the East Hampshire project.

She said: “I don’t think the way we have worked will work in future. It’s up to us to develop new methods; a big boss isn’t imposing it on us.”

A trust spokesman said funding had been identified to “reconfigure” the inside of the building to make it easier to use and provide more room for more services.

He went onto say that as well as providing quicker care locally, the programme was part of a bigger strand of work, trying to improve care early on to reduce pressures on A and E departments at bigger hospitals.

Southern Health Better Local Care manager in East Hampshire Rob Guile said: “We are keen to make the best use of local NHS buildings and recognise Petersfield Hospital as an important asset for the area. We have started a project to improve the hospital over the coming months. Our intention is to make the hospital more straightforward and pleasant to access. We also hope to bring more services into the building if possible.

“This project is linked to our efforts to make different parts of the NHS work better together and alongside GPs, social care, and the voluntary sector – something we’re calling Better Local Care.

“As our plans develop we will be involving more local people to help shape the potential future of the hospital.”

At the moment Southern Health is looking at local doctors running a ‘quicker’ treatment service at the hospital, that could see same day appointments with practice nurses and other specialists.

For more information about Better Care in East Hampshire visit the website www.betterlocalcare.org.uk