THE NHS has said it will postpone its bid for capital investment for Bordon’s Chase Hospital while plans are considered for a health campus.

The NHS added that the Chase will remain open in a “new role” and will act as the headquarters for developing a “new model of health and care for Whitehill and Bordon”.

The existing range of NHS health services will continue to run from the site as the partners in the town’s regeneration develop their health campus proposals.

The future of town health services was considered at a meeting of the NHS South Eastern Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group’s governing body last Wednesday.

Following the meeting, the GP-led organisation stated that: “The Clinical Commissioning Group remains committed to ensuring residents in Whitehill and Bordon have access to a comprehensive range of health and wellbeing services in the town and that work continues to attract new services to the town.

“In the light of the above, the Clinical Commissioning Group pauses its capital-investment bid for the Chase Community Hospital while it discusses an integrated health facility in the new town centre with stakeholders.

“The hospital will remain open, continue to provide all its current services, and act as the base for the development of the new model of service over the next few years, while plans for the new town-centre facility are developed and implemented.The Clinical Commissioning Group continues to work with local GPs and partner organisations to develop plans for a new health and wellbeing facility in the heart of the ‘healthy new town’. This facility would provide everything previously included in the Chase plus innovative, state-of-the-art models of care not envisaged when the original Chase project was developed.”

It added that the public will continue to be consulted on proposals.

Sara Tiller, the Clinical Commissioning Group’s chief development officer and project director for redeveloping the Chase, said: “It is being proposed that the new health campus, which will open in 2019, would provide everything previously planned for the Chase, such as a minor-injuries service. But it would also have innovative, state-of-the-art models of care not envisaged when the original Chase project was developed.

“The various partners involved in redeveloping the town centre are also keen to attract a nursing-home developer, which would mean GPs could be really close to more of their patients.”

Headley GP Dr Anthony Leung said: “I am really excited about the potential that Bordon new town will offer. We are already bringing more specialists into the area, developing strong relationships and seeing good clinical outcomes.

“The health campus will be the go-to place to pioneer new ideas, treatment pathways and do research. We know that patients who are involved in research are more interested, engaged and do better.”