Community Health Partnerships CEO Wendy Farrington-Chadd got a chance to see positive collaboration in action recently when she visited Lowe House, St Helens.
This visit was an opportunity for Ian Butterworth, Strategic Projects Manager from Renova, and Ann-Marie Barrow, Senior Commissioning Manager at St Helens CCG to showcase the first phase of the large CHP-funded capital project to create a new Pulmonary Rehabilitation suite for Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust and the plans for the second phase of works which includes the installation of two birthing suites for Maternity Services to be delivered by St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust.
Wendy visited Lowe House with Andy Muir, Regional Director for the North West at CHP, John Green, Senior Customer Relationship Manager, Libby Doherty, Regional Property Contracts Manager, and Danielle Gann, ORM.
Dan Cook, Programme Manager at CHP, originally produced a business case in March 2019, which allowed CHP to work closely with colleagues from Renova, an investor in 17 community healthcare facilities in the North West, and the local St Helens CCG on the project.
A new ultrasound room and independent access to the birthing hub will be created as part of the reconfiguration. This variation will cost around £736k, with £50k being contributed by Cheshire and Merseyside Women’s and Children’s Services Partnership. As a building within the heart of the community, its aim is to increase birthing location options for women in those areas and reduce the need to visit a hospital. The works started at the end of January and should be completed by May.
Internally, the work will include adjusting a fire door to become a dedicated entrance, and exit for service users and their families, altering internal access doors, work on water and waste water, sluice facilities and reworking the existing clinical treatment rooms to provide a wet and a dry birthing suite with extra provisions for changing and showering being made available also.
The birthing suite will allow mums who are low risk to give birth on a site in St Helens and receive all their care including scans at Lowe House, meaning that they do not have to travel to a hospital site. Women will also be able to access support for smoking cessation, perinatal mental health and infant feeding.
For children, multiple health services will be provided making care much more coordinated for families whose children are under several services. Some clinics have already moved from Whiston Hospital to Lowe House, including children’s blood clinics, which have never been offered outside of the hospital before. This means that children can receive care closer to home.
Ann Marie Barrow, Commissioning Manager at St Helens CCG, said:
“The way that organisations and services have come together to develop and progress this project has been key. This project will make a huge difference to pregnant women, children and their families and is a major coup for St Helens.”
Wendy and Andy were given a tour of the phase one works currently taking place by Ian Butterworth, Strategic Projects Manager at Renova. The tour gave a fantastic overview of the services that will be relocating within the building and the plans for those moving to the site.
Ian Butterworth from Renova commented:
“Lowe House already plays a vital role for local residents so this project will be a huge boost to families in St Helens offering them a range of new facilities and services all under one roof in the heart of the community. We were delighted to showcase the works now underway which are a testament to the close working between all partners to deliver the best possible community healthcare facilities for local residents, families and patients.”
Andy Muir added:
“I’m delighted that CHP has been able to support and fund this fantastic project made possible by the drive and commitment of our partners within the Trusts, Liverpool Women’s, St Helens CCG, and Renova.”
“This is a great opportunity to use this building for the benefit of the local community, in particular mothers and their newborns, and means we can deliver services much closer to home that would previously have required a trip to hospital.”
About Lowe House Health Centre
Lowe house was built in 2010 under the NHS LIFT Programme that brings together Renova – an investor in 17 community healthcare facilities in the North West – with Community Health Partnerships, a key part of the NHS family. Renova is owned by Fulcrum, an investor in over 40 community health centres across England. Renova is based in the North West of England, delivering health centres that serve the Merseyside and Cheshire boroughs of St Helens, Knowsley, Halton & Warrington. Read more: www.fulcrumgroup.co.uk/
23 February 2022
