A HEALTH hub in Basingstoke is closing at the end of May less than a year after opening, the Gazette can reveal.

The service opened in Festival Place in early 2022, funded as part of the national response to the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

At the time of its launch, it was billed as a way to “give the local community the help they need most at a place that’s convenient to them”.

Speaking at the launch last year, Dr Tim Cooper, a Hampshire GP, said the hub would initially deliver Covid vaccinations, but the aim was to grow the number of services offered there.

Read more: Health hub launches in Festival Place

He added: “We really think that this ‘healthcare on the high street’ model could make it easier for more people to get the help they need and support patients to think differently about how they access healthcare. We’re keen to try it out and see if it can add to the current landscape of healthcare in Basingstoke.”

Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Councillor Paul Miller, who cut the ribbon to declare the new facility officially open in June 2022, also welcomed the new service and said it would “become part of the long-term facilities in Festival Place”.

Despite the services offered there growing over the last year including mental health advice, blood pressure checks and postnatal reviews, the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) has announced that it will close in May with services moving back into the local community and GP practices.

Staff will continue to offer the vaccine and some services from the hub until its closure on May 13.

After that, people eligible for the spring Covid-19 vaccine or those yet to receive their first or second dose can get their jab at clinics available in the area.

Other services that have been provided at the hub such as menopause advice and blood pressure checks will be available for patients at their local GP practice.

Dr Charlotte Hutchings, a GP and the clinical director for North and Mid Hampshire for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB said: “The health hub has been a great example of collaborative working by primary care (GP) providers across north Hampshire, funded via the national Covid-19 vaccination programme.

“Now that the vaccine programme is becoming part of our ‘business as usual’ services, we need to explore more sustainable means of delivering the programme longer term and to make the best use of our NHS resources.

“We know the health hub has been greatly valued by many of the people who have used it – and we would like to thank the local GP practices, community and voluntary organisations, as well as the local council for their combined and much-valued support, particularly all the staff who have worked there.

See also: Relocation of Chineham GP surgery staff is 'temporary measure'

“This last year has provided a great opportunity to think about how we deliver preventative health care services and will help inform future provision as we develop neighbourhood care across North Hampshire.

“People will still get the health services they need under the new arrangements – there is just a change to the location where they will be provided.”

Since it opened in June 2022 staff at the health hub delivered more than 120,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

A smaller hub opened in Festival Place in January 2022 offering Covid vaccines before the larger site launched in June 2022.

Where the services provided by the health hub will be available:

1. COVID-19 Spring vaccine – Health Hub and pop-up sites until May 13. Community Pharmacy at Popley, Brighton Hill and Alton (Wellbeing Pharmacy) Telephone Helpline 0300561 0018. The Autumn sites will be confirmed nearer the time

2. Flu vaccines - General Practices/Community Pharmacy

3. HPV vaccines - General Practices

4. PPV vaccines - General Practices

5. NHS Health Checks - General Practices

6. Healthy Hearts: Healthy Hearts :: Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICS (hantsiowhealthandcare.org.uk)

7. Weight management programmes - Health and Wellbeing coaches at GP Practices and Weightwatchers

8. Smoking cessation advice- health and wellbeing coaches at GP, social prescribers or online at Smokefree Hampshire

9. Menopause group consultations - advice from GP surgeries and most have specialist GPs in women's health

10. Men's Health group consultations - advice from GP surgeries

11. Blood Pressure checks - GP surgeries- blood machines in waiting room, as well as blood pressure monitors that can be bought or loaned

12. Signposting- social prescribers available in all Primary Care Networks (PCNs) via GP surgeries. Many receptionists in surgeries are also being trained as care navigators and signposting people

13. Social Prescribing - available in all PCNs via GP surgeries

14. Mental Health advice – Mental Health advisers employed by PCNs available via GP surgeries and can also access via 'Andover Mind'

15. Antenatal reviews - midwife available via GP surgery or Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT)

16. Postnatal reviews - midwife available via GP surgery or HHFT

17. Baby health and development reviews - health visitor contact directly. Telephone number given after birth or can get contact details from GP surgery or website.