What could the hub include?
We are planning a health and wellbeing hub offering a community diagnostic centre, expanded GP services and some community services.
Our vision is to bring services together under one roof so we plan to have community nursing, podiatry, cardiac and respiratory teams, as well as support for mental health and health promotion. Our aim is to support people to stay well for longer and, with faster diagnosis, take a more proactive approach to keeping people well.
The project is being led by the East Kent Health and Care Partnership, which is made up of health, care and voluntary sector organisations. Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust will lease the building, renovating it to include consultation, counselling and treatment rooms.
Why it’s needed and how it could help the community
We want to do more to support people in Thanet to stay healthy and to live longer, healthier and happier lives. Our vision is a centre which brings people together, creates opportunities and helps people connect. We need to hear your voice to make this happen.
We know there is significant deprivation in Thanet and residents have poorer health outcomes. However, there is a strong history of partnership working and our partners across Thanet are committed to this proposal to deliver new and improved services.
Floorplan
How the new hub could support you
So far, plans for the Thanet health hub include:
- an NHS community diagnostic centre (CDC), to include an MRI in phase one, expanding to respiratory, cardiology and phlebotomy services in phase two
- a range of community NHS services, including community nursing, podiatry, cardiac and respiratory services
- relocation of an existing GP surgery to support growth in the patient list, of up to 7,000 people
- capacity to support development of a new model of care, including same day access to a GP when appropriate
- signposting and support to access health and care services provided by voluntary sector organisations, such as Age UK.
We’d like to hear what you think about these plans, what they would mean for you and if there are other services you would like us to explore in the future.
Community diagnostics
The community diagnostic centre will provide quicker access to diagnostic tests closer to home, speeding up the start of treatment and reducing the need for hospital visits.
As a ‘spoke’ to the Buckland Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), which opened in Dover in 2022, the Thanet Community Diagnostic Centre would initially offer a range of diagnostics, including MRI, phlebotomy, respiratory and echocardiogram (ECHO), bringing further capacity, resilience and sustainability to diagnostic services across east Kent.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT), which owns the Buckland CDC in east Kent, will be responsible for the management and delivery of the Thanet CDC. It would be on land next to the side of the main Carey building, through a connected purpose-built unit, which would provide MRI services, with permanent and seamless access to the main building. ECHO, phlebotomy and respiratory services will be provided in the main Carey building.
GP surgery
St Peter’s Surgery in Broadstairs needs to vacate its current premises and proposes to move to the hub less than a mile away. The practice has explored alternative options. This would provide a long-term solution and allow the practice to increase the number of registered patients, as well as expand the services it offers. Separate to the GP surgery, the aim is for the hub to provide capacity to support the development of same day access to general practice. This will be developed in line with NHS Kent and Medway’s primary care strategy.
Community care
Our vision is to bring community services, such as our community nurses, podiatry, cardiac and respiratory teams, under one roof, to work seamlessly with partners to simplify patient access, in a modern, accessible environment. We will explore health promotion services to support people to stay well for longer and, with faster diagnosis, take a more proactive approach to keeping people well.
Age UK and the community and voluntary sector
The plan is for Age UK Thanet staff and volunteers to support the hub, by giving people information, advice and signposting to other organisations that may be able to help them navigate their care and stay well.
Every day, the charity supports more than 300 people with a variety of services including home cooked meals and activities, such as arts and crafts, and games.
