Keen Interest in Henley Hospital Project

NEWS RELEASE

Date 14 April 2009

Keen interest in Henley Hospital Project

More than 30 organisations have expressed an interest in re-developing Henley’s Townlands Hospital.

This follows Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust’s (PCT) decision to place an advert in specialist magazines and websites in January. The advert asked would-be developers to put themselves forward to submit plans for the project.

Now, the PCT is considering the details of all the plans submitted and deciding on which contenders should go forward.

Alan Webb, the PCT’s Director of Commissioning, said: “We are very encouraged by this significant level of interest. The PCT is pleased to have attracted a high number of potential bidders. We now need to work carefully to ensure we get the best developer and outcome for the Townland’s project.”

Work is now taking place to assess the bidders and invite them to the next stage of the process. Because of the high level of interest it is likely to be a few weeks before this next stage is reached.

Key Dates

 February – December 2009: Expressions of interest are evaluated and discussions with bidders take place. Final tenders should be submitted by bidders  January – February 2010: Evaluation of tenders takes place and a paper is presented to the PCT Board with a proposal to award the contract  Summer 2010: Building work should start on site

-Ends-

Notes to Editors 2

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the background to this project?

A: The PCT is committed to providing a new primary care facility to replace the current Townlands Community Hospital. The whole project is currently being planned in consultation with local people and a new building is expected to be completed by 2012. Organisations who may be interested in building the new facilities may express interest in the provision of the whole service together with the provision of the 20 intermediate care beds. Alternatively, bidders may be interested in providing either the Primary Care Building or the bedded provision separately. The PCT wishes to procure the best solution and remains open to one of several approaches.

Q: How long will it take you to deal with the potential bidders?

A: The process to identify a developer will take 12 months. It will take this long because of the legal requirements the PCT is bound by.

Q: There have been a lot of options considered over the years into how health care should be developed in Henley. Does this news mean the PCT has decided which option to go with?

A: Not yet. The PCT realises how important it is to work with local people to get the right outcome and this work will take some time. Potential developers or providers will come forward over the next year or so with ideas which can be tested with the project group and with local people, to ensure that the right outcome is achieved. The final option, therefore, will not be known until the end of this process.

Q: Will the number of bed –based services change as a result of these plans?

A: No, means that the same number of beds (20) will be available in Henley as now.

For more information contact NHS Oxfordshire’s media office on tel: 01865 336 831 or email: [email protected]