NHS faces questions over delays to shelved Hucknall health hub plans

The new hub was intended to be an ‘all under one roof’ centre with GPs, health and wellbeing services and other in-community facilities.

It was one of six ‘Cavell Centre’ projects across the country, which were all put on hold by NHS England in February 2023.

Hucknall has a rapidly-expanding population and local councillors have previously expressed concern it does not have enough GPs for the number of people who live there.

Local NHS planning group the Integrated Care Board (ICB) said at the time of the delay’s announcement it would make ‘minor improvements’ to the Hucknall Health Centre on Curtis Street, to ease pressure in the short-term.

In an update on January 17, the ICB said these improvements to convert vacant space into consultation rooms at the existing centre are ‘hoped to progress in spring’.

A ICB spokesperson said it was ‘fully committed to delivering improved access to primary care services for the people of Hucknall’.

The site of the derelict old Seven Stars pub on West Street, was a potential location for the new centre – after proposals to build it on the site of Piggins Croft Car Park were abandoned – before the plans were put on hold.

At a Nottinghamshire Council health scrutiny committee meeting on January 16, Coun John Wilmott (Ash Ind), who represents Hucknall North at County Hall, said he plans to seek an update on the situation.

He said: “One thing I’ve raised repeatedly in this committee is about the health and wellbeing vision in Hucknall and in particular the Cavell Centre which was the proposed ‘super health centre’.

“It’s been over six months since the NHS went public and broke their promise to the people of my town.

“Since then they’ve made no progress.

"Can I formally propose we invite the NHS bosses to our March meeting to give an update?

“It has been ongoing for a number of months.

"The people of Hucknall need to know and we need to know now.”

A spokesperson for NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We understand the frustration with delays to the proposed Hucknall Health and Wellbeing Hub development but, working with Ashfield Council and local partners, we remain fully committed to delivering improved access to primary care services for the people of Hucknall.

“In February 2023, the ICB was required to pause work on the development, pending an updated national directive from NHS England.

“We continue to work to explore the feasibility of a new health facility in Hucknall, building on our work with partners and patients as part of the Cavell programme, whilst we await the national update.

“To ease the current pressure in the short term we will be making some minor improvements to the Hucknall Health Centre building which will help to increase capacity.

"To achieve this, we are working on a specification to convert vacant space into clinical consultation rooms which we hope to progress in spring.”