Chineham Medical Practice could relocate to office block

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) has announced that it is considering relocating Chineham Medical Practice to Dame Mary Fagan House, in Lutyens Close, where administrative and clerical staff from the surgery are already working.

Last year, the ICB approved plans for the surgery to relocate to Jameson House, also in Lutyens Close, which would have seen a wing added to the building in a multi-million-pound development.

However, the plans fell through in February this year following months of planning and almost two years of talks, with the ICB saying the move would not go ahead because it did not represent “value for money”.

Read more: Multi-million-pound Basingstoke GP surgery relocation falls through

The ICB is looking to relocate the surgery because its current site in Reading Road is no longer large enough and does not meet the needs of the growing population.

Now, a spokesperson for the ICB said it is “exploring” the option of relocating to Dame Mary Fagan House.

They added: “We currently lease an office within Dame Mary Fagan House (DMFH) for our employees working in North and Mid Hampshire to work from.

"Some administrative and clerical staff from Chineham Medical Practice and Whitewater Loddon Primary Care Network also continue to work from DMFH as a temporary measure, co-locating with the Integrated Care Board there.

“We welcome Hampshire County Council’s announcement that it is considering leasing further floors in the building, and we will be exploring this as one of the potential options for the re-location of Chineham Medical Practice.

“New accommodation for Chineham Medical Practice remains a key priority for the Integrated Care Board and we are working hard to make this happen.”

The announcement comes after Hampshire County Council said it could release some or all of Dame Mary Fagan House as part of its current accommodation review.

The three-storey office building currently accommodates a range of services that provide support to children and families, including a disabled children’s team and a youth offending team, as well as outreach services to support people in their own homes and teams providing specialist services to schools.

See also: Care board progressing a 'local option' to relocate Basingstoke GP surgery

The county council said many of the teams spend significant time working in the community and no longer need the same amount of office space, resulting in the building not being used to capacity.

It said the building has come under review as the council considers its office accommodation needs, to help find ways to reduce running costs and make savings on the cost of running offices.

It is now considering offering the other floors of Dame Mary Fagan House for lease, or even selling the building altogether.

Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Rob Humby, said: “We have always carefully monitored the use of our offices to ensure they remain cost-effective, and to release savings whenever possible. This provides us with opportunities to further modernise and streamline our operations where it may be possible, but we also remain mindful of our role in the local economy, and the needs of local residents and our partners.

“Dame Mary Fagan House is a large building, and following considered review, we are looking at how it fits our future needs. The services that we currently run from this building could be delivered very effectively through alternative accommodation in the Basingstoke area and made easier for people to get to.

“Our staff in the building are aware that they may relocate in future and are being kept informed as plans progress. We have always closely monitored our accommodation needs, and made changes to our provision in the past, ensuring relocations are made without disruption to local services or to our residents.”