PrimaryCare Modernising Primary Care Premises and Services Through Partnership For Glasgow’s Greater Good The new Rutherglen Primary Care Centre, one of many examples of partnership working in the area ‘Greater Glasgow’s Primary Care Strategy – Shaping the Future of Primary Care – aims to revolutionise primary care services in Scotland’s largest city,’ says Ian Reid, Chief Executive, Greater Glasgow Primary Health Care NHS Trust. ‘Put together following consultation with patients, staff, community organisations, local authorities and voluntary organisations, the strategy sets out a future vision for primary care which aims to meet the needs of patients and bring the quality of health in Glasgow and surrounding area up to a level at least equal to the rest of Scotland. Around £38 million has already been invested, with a further £100 million to come over the next five years to improve and develop a wide range of services in line with national, city-wide and local priorities. These plans will only be successful if local premises and facilities are modernised to meet future needs. Funding from the Primary and Community Care Premises Modernisation Programme has made possible a number of projects in Greater Glasgow and a £48 million property plan has additionally been developed to upgrade, extend and replace a number of health centres and clinics in the city. A significant amount of work in improving premises is already underway, with improved facilities up and running in areas such as Rutherglen, Govanhill and Bridgeton. Patients have been extremely positive about the new accommodation and many staff have commented on how improvements have proven to be a genuine boost for services. There is, however, much work still to be done, with future plans for improved or upgraded health centres and clinics in Pollok, Castlemilk, Springburn, Possilpark, Townhead, Maryhill, Gorbals, Parkhead, Shetttleston, Clydebank and Drumchapel. A different approach is now being taken in the development of new premises. While new accommodation is being purpose- designed and built to meet current needs, taking into account the increasingly closer working across the NHS system and multi-agency approach to the delivery of services, it is also being designed with future needs and services in mind. The requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act are also being taken into consideration when designing and building new accommodation. All these improvements aim to provide modern, purpose-built accommodation to meet the health needs of a changing population. Contact with primary care professionals accounts for 90% of all patient contacts with the health service and the provision of high quality services in accommodation fit for the 21st century is crucial to improving the patient’s experience.’ The third newsletter in the series, looking at improvements in Scotland’s health care provision, turns its attention to a selection of the many developments in the Greater Glasgow area. Kicking off, Carole Gillan (Primary Care Development Manager (Premises) Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust) provides an overview of the ongoing Primary Care Premises Modernisation Programme. Since the inception of the Scottish Executive’s Premises Modernisation Programme in 2000, Glasgow has had the opportunity to invest some £10.8 million in improving and/or replacing health centres, community health clinics and community pharmacy premises. This has complemented the significant service development programme, as stated in the Trust’s strategy for the modernisation of primary care services. The capital investment can be sub-divided into the following categories: Community Pharmacies The Trust, in conjunction with Pharmaceutical Contractors, The Modernisation Programme has helped provide grants to has helped to pilot the model pharmacy scheme. Featuring a three further community pharmacies to help them modernise different style of layout to the traditional pharmacy – with its their premises and upgrading works will be completed emphasis on the display and sale of cosmetics and toiletries shortly. – the new accommodation aims to support the increasing involvement of pharmacists in providing an extended Over the last three years the Scottish Executive has allocated consultation service and the future move towards pharmacist £99,000 each year for premises’ improvements in addition to prescribing. To encourage all parts of the community to use £204,000 in 2002/03 to four schemes. this important facility, confidential consulting space and a generally welcoming environment are required. Additionally, there will be the opportunity for other health and social care providers to make use of these facilities. Health Centres A total of £10.6 million has been allocated to extend and upgrade eight health centres as part of the programme. Three particular projects are examples of improving patients access to modern primary care facilities, assisting opportunities for joint working with other parts of the health service and partner agencies, and providing primary care contractors with improved facilities. 1. The Rutherglen Primary Care Centre, completed in 2001 at aspects of the town. Aiming to come on stream in 2005, the a cost of £4.5 million, upgraded and significantly extended the facility will provide, on an integrated basis, primary care existing health centre which no longer provided sufficient and services (including two GP practices), community mental suitable accommodation to meet the needs of patients, general health services and social work services. The Centre will be practitioners and other primary care staff. There was a scheme located in the heart of the town, adjacent to a number of aimed at providing significant additional space for all services community pharmacies and general dental contractors. and the opportunity for some practices to develop the practice Provision of a second phase development to incorporate these premises adjacent to the Centre under a cost rent scheme. As and other relevant services is being considered. a result, the Centre has a mixture of GP cost rent and The facility will be built by a development company, set up ‘at traditional health centre rental agreements, allowing each arms length’ by East Dunbartonshire Council, with practice the scale of accommodation to be leased by each of the occupant accommodation that agencies. In designing the building, great emphasis is being meets their needs, on made on maximising the sharing of accommodation and a financial basis encouraging the appropriate areas for joint working. There will that suits them. The be a single point of entry with a staffed reception area to direct Centre now houses visitors to the correct part of the building. improved facilities for physiotherapy, podiatry and treatment room services with a wide range of secondary health care, voluntary agencies and social care organisations using the improved ‘sessional use’ accommodation on a multi-agency basis. The district nurses and health visitors are now, for the first time, based within each of the practice areas. A general dental contractor continues to offer dental services. 2. Earlier this year, work began to demolish the existing Sandy Road Community Clinic followed by construction of a new-build facility costing £3.05 million.The Clinic no longer provides sufficient accommodation to meet the current needs of a rapidly expanding range of primary care services required for the west end of Glasgow. Previously the site had separate, stand-alone buildings housing community mental General Practitioner health services and a local authority nursery school. Aiming to maximise the development opportunities of the site, the Premises plan is to replace both the primary care facility and the nursery school, with Glasgow District Council contributing Much work has been undertaken to modernise GP premises £200k towards the capital costs. The building will, in addition in Glasgow and significant investment in cost rent and to providing pre-school nursery places for the local improvement grant schemes is continuing. Introduction of community, deliver physiotherapy, podiatry, treatment room the Third Party Developer Scheme has allowed the Trust to and community dental services. A variety of rooms will be help GP practices to take advantage of an additional way to used by many different health and social care organisations, deal with the issue of fewer development sites, potential thereby enhancing the development of joint services locally negative equity in deprived areas and the changing profile of accessible to the community. The building has been designed GPs, many of whom are reulctant to own their buildings. to enable the construction of a phase II in the future, with the There are already examples of high quality schemes having potential involvement of primary care contractors such as been successfully undertaken and, increasingly in these GPs, general dental contractors and community pharmacists schemes, GPs are liaising with their LHCC in providing being considered. accommodation for non attached, health/social care services to operate from GP premises. 3. In partnership with East Dunbartonshire Council, the Trust is involved in developing an Integrated Care Centre in Kirkintilloch, as part of the programme to regenerate all Rutherglen Primary Care Centre On first sight you could be forgiven for assuming the building is a futuristic shopping mall. But, rising from the ashes of an old maternity hospital and Rutherglen Health Centre, the Stonelaw