RESIDENTS got a first glimpse at plans for a huge new critical treatment hospital at a public exhibition yesterday afternoon.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is proposing to create a £150million hospital, which will treat tens of thousands of critically-ill patients, on a 22-hectare greenfield site on the north side of the A30 near junction 7 of the M3.

The hospital will treat patients in a critical or life-threatening condition, with staff dealing with major trauma injuries, heart attacks, strokes and other emergencies and it will have specialist Emergency Department consultants available 24 hours a day.

Emergency Departments at Basingstoke and Winchester will be retained, but maternity units at both sites will be downgraded to become midwife-led, with consultant-led maternity care available only at the critical treatment hospital.

Among those viewing the proposed plans at the exhibition, held at Basingstoke Golf Club, Kempshott Park, were members of the North Waltham Action Group.

Christine Rowley, pictured below with fellow action group member Lucy Henry, told The Gazette: “The hospital will have to borrow £150million for this project.

“At the moment we are hearing about lack of nursing staff and money problems at the hospital. How can they afford to get themselves into even more debt? This is the wrong time to be considering this.”

Basingstoke Gazette:

More than 100 visitors to the public exhibition were told that the new critical treatment hospital, which has a 34,000 square metre floor area, will have four key clinical areas - emergency, diagnostics and paediatric, theatres and critical care, maternity and a local neo-natal unit, and an in-patient ward.

A number of highway improvements are planned as part of the proposals, including a new roundabout on the A30 to provide access to staff, visitors and secondary emergency vehicles and the widening of Trenchard Lane to provide a second access to the site.

A new bus stop will be built on the A30, close to the site, and a new pedestrian footpath and a cycle path will also be provided.

A helipad will be located on the southern part of the site with an estimated one to two helicopter trips expected each month.

Arnie Luftman, programme director for clinical reprovision at the Trust, told The Gazette: “The creation of this hospital is just part of our wider plans.

“We want to treat patients in the community wherever possible and are looking at ways of doing this more effectively. We are working with GPs and social services to be able to help patients in the best way possible.”

Plans for the £18.5m, 4,500sqm cancer treatment centre also went on show.

Jo Kelly, vice-chairman of Radcan, spoke in favour of the new cancer centre, telling The Gazette: “It will be wonderful to have this facility so near to Basingstoke and will make a huge difference to people needing radiotherapy. It is great to see things moving along.”

A full planning application is set to be submitted in March, and will be followed by a public consultation. The tender for the work should be completed by November, and health watchdog Monitor will then be invited to approve the plans.

If approved, building work on the emergency hospital should begin in 2016, and it should be opened by the end of 2018.

A second exhibition is to be held tonight between 5pm and 8pm at Basingstoke Golf Club.

More on this story

Action group formed to fight hospital plans 

Plans for new hospital move a step closer 

Hospital bosses explain reasons behind new centre 

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust wants to build new hospital in North Waltham

New hospital is 'vital for future' of Basingstoke-based trust