It seems like a long time ago when we began the journey to transform health and care services in Thurrock. We knew that what was offered for residents in terms of health care wasn’t enough and not meeting the needs of people. More people were going to A&E and hospital than should have been. They could have been better supported to prevent ill health and managed in their own community, with better access to GP facilities. That was back in 2014! How things have moved on since then…
Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group worked with Healthwatch Thurrock and Thurrock Council to gauge people’s opinion and asked what they wanted from a 21st Century Health and Care offer and overall, most people wanted better access to GPs and primary care services and care closer to home. They also wanted to only tell their story once and to have health and care more joined up. For the last four years we have been working with Purfleet Centre Regeneration team. Purfleet Centre Regeneration Limited (PCRL), is a joint venture between Urban Catalyst and Swan Housing Association, delivering the £1bn regeneration of Purfleet-on-Thames.
We’ve been working with Thurrock Council, PCRL, health providers, Purfleet Care Centre, community service providers and the voluntary sector to design a 21st Century integrated medical centre that offers a one stop shop for health, care, mental health and more. By joining up we hope to offer you the ideals you said you wanted and to provide access to solutions that keep you living well and staying well. This joint way of working became branded as Better Care Together Thurrock in 2018.
The Purfleet IMC is bound up in the delivery of the new Purfleet on Thames town and regeneration of the area. We now hope that we will see the IMC built and ready to open at the end of 2023 (only three years away).
Talking to you
Over the last few years, PCRL have been involving local residents in the design of the new town and engagement with the local community and stakeholders has been at heart of the approach, focussing too on the Purfleet-on-Thames Community Forum and feeding back to the Purfleet IMC project group. Thurrock Council and PCRL won a national award for their community engagement with Purfleet residents a couple of years ago!
What will you get from the Integrated Medical Centres?
You will get a number of services, some of which you may already receive locally, including:
- Blood tests
- A GP practice with extended staff including paramedic practitioners, social prescribers, clinical pharmacists and more – you can read more about these roles here: https://www.thurrockccg.nhs.uk/your-health/primary-care/services-available-from-gp-surgery
- Outpatient clinics – to be confirmed but could be based on three speciality services
- Mental Health support – services like IAPT for people with long term conditions and other community psychiatric support.
- Pharmacy
- Community space for local groups
- Possible opportunity for treatments and minor operations
We are still working through the health and care offer and with providers to determine the exact services you will see, but rest assured we’ll keep you updated when we know more and hopefully we will be able to share plans. We will also be looking to have online meetings, where we can present some of our thinking on what your medical centre will offer. We’ll keep your forum updated with details about this and other engagement opportunities.
For more information visit: www.bettercaretogetherthurrock.org