Wantage Town Council, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and the local NHS, Oxfordshire County Council and Vale of White Horse District Council have agreed an investment programme that will spend nearly £1 million on refurbishing Wantage Community Hospital’s ground floor so that it can accommodate more clinic-based services across physical healthcare and mental health.
The majority of the funding will come from the the District Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Fund.
Dan Leveson, director for places and communities at the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West ICB, said: “The partnership work undertaken over the last couple of years between the NHS, local government, the community and its leaders is a great example of how the needs of local people can be understood when it comes to more routine care being provided closer to where they live. The changes happening at Wantage will also help meet national ambitions around people getting treated more quickly.”
Councillor Jane Hanna, who is a county councillor for Wantage and Grove and chairs Oxfordshire County Council’s Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, said: “I am delighted at the progress that has been made to date and the funding that has been allocated for investment in our local community hospital. A public meeting is scheduled for late February, which is when more detail will be provided on the design and anticipated timelines for work to start on refurbishing the hospital’s ground floor, along with the likely services that will be coming to use the space.”