Business case for Health Centre must be pushed through - Nicholl

The call was firmly made at last Monday night’s meeting of the local authority by Cllr Tommy Nicholl who is a member of the Northern Local Commissioning Group (LCG) which approved the business case for the project, last month.

“Now that the LCG have approved the business case, the Trust is working to present further detail along with the business case to the Department of Health,” said Cllr Nicholl, adding: “I can advise that this is expected to happen before the end of September”.

“I would call on this Council to focus over the next few months on supporting the quick expediting of the business case through liaison and writing to the revelant Ministers and officials,” he appealed.

Earlier this month, Planners approved the development application, leaving the allocation of funding for the project the only hurdle to be overcome before the project can be steered towards fruition.

At last Monday night’s gathering in Ardeevin, Mr Nicholl, confirmed that capital funding for the project “remains within the current capital spend programme.

He added, however: “As Members will be aware the comprehensive spending review is due in December. This means that this Council’s work is not complete and we need to exert influence on the Department of Health and Department of Finance and Personnel to ensure that the process runs efficiently and smoothly”.

Cllr Nicholl went on to “clarify some facts” around the provision of the proposed Centre....

* If funded by the Minister, the capital cost will not be taken from front-line services such as home helps, homecare, meals at home services etc.

* The ongoing revenue/running costs are being considered and managed through the Trust and are currrently being resolved.

* The provision of the Centre will see similar provision to that in each of the other Trust areas.

* The minor injuries unit will not form part of this currently but has not been forgotten and will be considered in the future when further funding becomes available.

* Council introduced the concept of possible dual use and, currently, officials from the Trust and council are meeting to determine the scope of this.

“What is clear is that there is community need in the Waveney area and aspects of this can be fulfilled by this new state-of-the-art building,” he said.

Cllr Nicholl was commended by a number of his Council colleagues for his long-term input into the project.

Extending her congratulations, however, Cllr Monica Digney pointed out: “It is so much less than we were originally promised”.

Cllr PJ McAvoy added: “We have to remember that there are going to be a lot of places that get nothing!

“We are going to get a Health and Care Centre that will be the very best of its kind in this day and age”.