Supporting future infrastructure planning for primary care in Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge (BHR) to better meet the changing needs, experiences and digital expectations of our patients and staff.
We are working on a 6-month project to develop a practical and tested approach to support future infrastructure planning for primary care in Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge (BHR) to better meet the changing needs, experiences and digital expectations of our patients and staff.
This work will be informed by a bespoke digital infrastructure planning methodology and will leverage an iterative and co-production approach to help ensure it provides practical application in the context of primary care infrastructure in BHR. This will include co-design workshops with the Thames View Health Centre team, as well as key decision makers across the East London Health and Care Partnership (ELHCP), BHR Boroughs and Primary Care Networks to help to build and embed a culture of future thinking.
Why is it needed?
East London is an area of regeneration with a rising population and is one of the fastest growing areas in England. By 2028, population growth is projected to increase by 13% to 2.28 million residents. In the next 15 to 20 years, the anticipated population growth in North East London (NEL) is expected to be over 380,000 people. Demand is projected to outstrip resources and capacity, making it necessary to rethink how and where health and care services are delivered.
To put this in context, if we are to continue delivering services in the same configuration in NEL, we would need the equivalent of a new hospital the size of The Royal London. Thus, the challenge is this: How can we better plan primary care buildings to meet the changing needs, experiences and digital expectations of patients and staff, so that we can continue to focus on improving population health and reducing health inequalities during a time of unprecedented change?
There are two relevant projects within the patch that aimed to address this:
1.) East London Health and Care Partnership: Estates and Digital Futures Discovery Project Working with FutureGov, the East London Health and Care Partnership (ELCHP) aimed to address how we can improve the estates and digital planning process to manage uncertainty. Through co-production, the project team designed a bespoke way of applying the Futures methodology in the context of infrastructure in NEL.
2.) BHR Integrated Care Partnership: New Model of Care for Thames Ward In March 2016, Barking Riverside was granted status as one of the ten Healthy New Towns developments in England. Under the ‘New Care Models’ workstream of the programme, a new operational group has been set up which focuses on reinvigorating the Thames View assets of the Sue Bramley Centre and adjacent Thames View Health Centre. The vision is to use this work at Thames View as a ‘test bed’ for elements of the health and care model for Barking Riverside.
Project Aims
Our aim for this project is multi-dimensional:
- Collate insights from the Futures Discovery project, the Activate Thames View projects and from other key stakeholders to health estate work in East London
- Test and refine the Futures methodology in the light of these insights, the ongoing likelihood of virtual rather than face-to-face meetings and evidence and feedback from its use.
- Support three Boroughs and three Primary Care Networks with health estate planning, modelling this process for East London’s Health and Care System to help to build a culture of future thinking.
Who’s involved? The key stakeholders
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Care City (North East London Foundation Trust): Care City leads on the ‘New Care Models’ Work Stream, an undertaking which utilises the latest care technology to inform an adaptable, modernised, and high-quality health and social care infrastructure for Barking Riverside.
Barking, Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge CCG: The CCG is supporting the Healthy New Towns project through giving consideration, and contributing to the services to be offered within the new Health and Wellbeing Hub for Barking Riverside.
The East London Health and Care Partnership (ELHCP) is how clinical commissioning groups, provider trusts, councils and local communities work together to improve health and care and create a more efficient and effective NHS.
NHS England is responsible for steering the Healthy New Towns Programme nationally. They are working with ten housing developments (including Barking Riverside) across England to shape the health of communities, and to rethink how health and care services can be provided.
