Anger as plans for new health care hubs scaled back with two scrapped

Last year, plans were lodged to set up five new hubs across the county using £25m of already-secured government funding.

The centres were due to be set up in Norwich, Rackheath, Attleborough King's Lynn and Gorleston - offering one-stop access to a range of health services.

A £47m business case was submitted to NHS England Improvement, with local bosses hoping to secure the rest of the funding privately.

However, these proposal did not sit well with NHS decision-makers, forcing planners back to the drawing board.

Now, instead of there being five new hubs, there will be four - two new builds and two created by extending existing GP sites.

If approved, the two new hubs will be in Rackheath and King's Lynn, with Aslake Close in Sprowston and Thetford Healthy Living Centre expanded to provide the other two.

ThEse plans have now been submitted to NHSE, with a final decision expected to be made in September.

Paul Higham, primary care estates director of NHS Norfolk and Waveney, told a meeting of the primary care commissioning committee the previous efforts were not "a valid route".

He added that the two withdrawn hubs, in Gorleston and Attleborough, could be revived at a later date and bosses were looking at ways this could be achieved.

But Hilary Byrne, one of the committee members, expressed her disappointment at the Attleborough hub being shelved.

She said: "Attleborough was identified as the highest need area of south Norfolk and the population growth expected is in the reason of 15,000.

"I was a little dismayed on behalf of the people in Attleborough."

Mr Higham previously warned the committee that the £25m of funding would be lost the hubs are not opened by March 2024 - so time was of the essence with the bid.

But Dr Bryne added: "It feels like one minute we [Attleborough] are a priority and then because of an arbitrary political deadline the plan has evaporated, but the need is still there."