Credit crunch halts hospital land sell-off (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Credit crunch halts hospital land sell-off

10:13am Thursday 9th October 2008

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RADICAL plans to sell off half of Winchester’s Royal Hampshire County Hospital site have been put on hold because of the economic downturn.

Hospital boss Martin Wakeley planned to put the Victorian Butterfield building — designed with the help of Florence Nightingale — on the market, as exclusively revealed by the Chronicle in February.

The landmark Grade II-listed building housing the main entrance has had a public health use for 140 years.

Other buildings and land earmarked for possible sale include next door Ashley wing, currently used as offices, outpatients, the sexual health clinic, doctors’ hostel, estates office, former breast screening unit, orthodontics, and refuse area off Burma Road.

But the collapse of the housing market means Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare Trust, which runs the RHCH and Andover War Memorial Hospital, may not get a good price.

The cash-strapped trust made £4.8m from the sale of hospital buildings and land in 2006/7, plugging a black hole in its finances.

Mr Wakeley, the trust’s chief executive, had pledged to use the proceeds of the latest sale to provide “a hospital for the 21st century”.

The plan was to finish fitting out modern Burrell Wing which has stood largely empty since 2004 because of lack of cash.

Only the top floor of the four-storey building is currently used for day surgery.

The aim was for outpatients, the pharmacy, ear, nose and throat department, dental surgery, day hospital, discharge and admissions lounge all to re-locate to Burrell wing by the end of 2009.

Now health chiefs are considering relocating outpatients to Avalon House in Chesil Street instead.

The proposal is to fit-out and lease the former city council offices as a cheaper option.

A hospital trust spokesman said: “We are realistic about the current property market and financial climate, and so we recognise that generating money from selling off surplus estate might take longer than we originally anticipated.

“The trust remains committed to providing patient care in high quality surroundings.

“For this reason, we are looking into the feasibility of providing outpatient services in Winchester city centre.

“No decision has been made yet, but there could be distinct advantages, such as ease of parking, better public transport and, of course, a higher standard environment for patients and staff.”

She added: “If the decision is to move, then we would only do so after comprehensive public engagement and service planning.

“The aim would be for the new and fully equipped Outpatients Department to work independently from the rest of the hospital, thereby avoiding the need for patients to make two separate visits to this and the main hospital.

“This is a system used successfully by many other trusts around the country.”

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