Opportunity Southend Initiative

OPPORTUNITY, Southend’s plans for improved hospital provision in Southend have received significant support.
The Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) has thrown its weight behind the bid for new and improved health facilities in the city.
Tom Abell, the leader of Essex ICB, said: “We welcome the Opportunity Southend initiative, which brings together partners in Southend from the City Council, MPs and the wider community.”
Opportunity Southend makes the case that Southend University Hospital will not last into the future. Parts of the building date back to 1932 and it has reached the end of its useful life.
Tom Abell added: “We recognise the need to find solutions to improve the quality of NHS estate in Southend, given the scale of planned development in and around the city.
“We will work with Opportunity Southend to find the opportunities to build new and better facilities in community settings in the city, and therefore reduce the burden on hospital services, which will give us the opportunity to work with the hospital Trust on how we can improve the quality of hospital estate in the city.”
MP for Southend West and Leigh, David Burton-Sampson said: “The ICB championing our cause is great news.
“The hospital will not last in its present form into the future and due to the location of the site, it has no room to expand.
“A new hospital facility would free up the current land which could be a prime city centre site. Most importantly, a new site would help deliver the government’s three priorities for healthcare: hospital to community, treatment to prevention and analogue to digital.”
Bayo Alaba, MP for Southend East and Rochford said: “I hope we will be able to progress the plans presented in Opportunity Southend and this backing is a significant step forward.
“The population in Southend is likely to increase by 8-10% over the coming years. This means the need for new health facilities will only increase further.”
Daniel Cowan, leader of Southend City Council said: “Opportunity Southend helps fulfil the government priorities of boosting economic growth and improving health outcomes.
“It would be wonderful to develop a new health facility and having the ICB on our side is a boost to bring these plans to fruition and help future-proof our city.”
Read more
Visit: https://leigh-on-sea.news
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leighonsea.news
X : @leighonsea_news
Contact us: https://leigh-on-sea.news/contact-us
Email: [email protected]