Playing fields out, hospital in (From Times Series)

Playing fields out, hospital in

8:40am Saturday 6th September 2008 in News By Tomasz Johnson

The multi-million pound redevelopment of Finchley Memorial Hospital has come a step closer after health chiefs closed the deal to buy a new site.

Barnet Primary Care Trust (PCT), which runs the hospital in Granville Road, North Finchley, announced the purchase of the Bow Lane playing fields from Camden Council on Friday.

The playing fields, which are adjacent to the existing hospital, have not been used for years and will now become home to what the PCT is calling a “state of the art” hospital on the back of a £10 million Government grant.

Charles Hollwey, chief executive of Barnet PCT, said: “The purchase of Bow Lane playing fields brings us another step closer to building a high standard, 21st century community hospital.

“The redevelopment of Finchley Memorial Hospital demonstrates our commitment to providing top quality healthcare in a fantastic environment. This development is a major investment in the health and regeneration of the local community.

“It is also very timely that we progress with this development in the year of Finchley Memorial Hospital’s 100th anniversary.”

The hospital will be one of Barnet PCT’s “primary care centres”, where patients will be offered a range of services, including GPs surgeries, diagnostic surgeries and pharmacies.

The aim is to create around seven primary care centres over the coming years, which will enable patients to access some services closer to home rather than travelling to a major hospital, like Barnet Hospital, in Wellhouse Lane, Barnet.

The primary care centres have provoked some criticism from residents who are concerned about their similarity to polyclinics, which have been proposed in other areas and threaten the closure of community-based GP practices.

A “large proportion” of the Bow Lane playing fields will be dedicated to community use.