General Practice Services at Upper Lighthorne New Settlement
Meeting the Primary Care needs of new residents
The Upper Lighthorne housing development is a significant part of Stratford District Council’s core strategy. 3,000 new homes will be built over the next 10 years, which could see an increase in the local population by more than 7,200 people.
The ICB is currently in the process of commissioning primary care services that will meet the General Practice needs of the growing population of Upper Lighthorne (also known as Gaydon/Lighthorne Heath).
The ICB has taken various issues into consideration including the size of the Upper Lighthorne development, the impact of this development on existing primary care estate, and potential options to accommodate the population growth, either within existing primary care provision or whether a new facility was required.
Three options were identified and in autumn 2022 a more detailed analysis of the options began. Following this analysis and after extensive engagement with local stakeholders, the preferred option that has been identified is a new GP Practice on the Upper Lighthorne site.
The ICB will now begin work to find a developer to fund the facility and a GP practice to run the service. We will continue to keep the local community and stakeholders updated as this work progresses.
There were three options for primary care provision to serve the population of Upper Lighthorne, they were:
- Option 1: Expand the capacity of established local GP practices whose practice areas include the Upper Lighthorne settlement site.
- Option 2: A new GP practice on the Upper Lighthorne settlement site with no expansion of the current GP practices.
- Option 3: A ‘hybrid solution’ which means expanding the capacity of some local GP practices and, potentially a smaller new building on the Upper Lighthorne settlement site.
Option 2, a new GP practice on the Upper Lighthorne settlement site with no expansion of the current GP practices, was approved by the ICBs Commissioning, Planning & Population Health Committee on 11th January 2023 as the preferred option.
The ICB carried out an in-depth appraisal of the potential estates solutions for primary care provision in Upper Lighthorne, this built on previous work that considered the impact of the Upper Lighthorne development on existing primary care provision.
The appraisal considered a range of factors including the value for money and the deliverability of the options, as well as the views of local stakeholders.
Throughout the process there was significant input from local stakeholders including the general public, Parish Councils, District Councils, County Council and the local MP, as well as local GP practices. The overwhelming majority of stakeholders favoured Option 2.
The recommendation of this appraisal was brought to the ICBs Commissioning, Planning & Population Health Committee on 11th January 2023.
Based on the estimated build rate of the housing development in Upper Lighthorne, the new facility is expected to open no later than summer 2027.
However, this date is dependent on a range of factors including the build rate of the housing development and the appropriate financing being secured.
The ICB will now begin the process of finding a developer to fund the facility and a GP practice to run the service.
GP Practices who wish to be considered for the development of this facility will be invited to submit their proposals to the ICB. Details of this process will be outlined in the near future.
The ICB has increased the capacity of local GP Practices in order to help them accommodate the anticipated increase in demand from Upper Lighthorne while the new facility is being developed.
There are a number of GP Practices in the local area that are available to Upper Lighthorne residents, you can find a local GP Practice on the NHS website.