Steve Brine has said the focus needs to be on securing RHCH following news that there will not be a new Critical Treatment Hospital built between Winchester and Basingstoke.
West Hampshire CCG have been in discussions with HHFT (which runs RHCH and Basingstoke General Hospital) and North Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group about the future configuration of services, and they have been working together to look at options for ensuring that community-based health services will be both strengthened and expanded.
While planning permission has been granted for a new CTH, the joint appraisal following the collaborative piece of work, held in the run-up to the forthcoming STP, concluded that a new centre was not affordable and would have impacted other health services across the area.
Steve Brine has prioritised the local health economy over the past decade, and has held a number of public meetings for local people to meet and challenge commissioners and health leaders over recent years, as well as running extensive public surveys and maintaining close contact with all the key players.
The Winchester MP, who recently called for cool heads and a non-partisan approach, said: "We have to maintain a sensible and balanced discussion about the future of acute care that, above all else, ensures the local NHS is there when we're acutely unwell.
"The transformation of services remains essential work and my view is that will one day demand we face some tough decisions.
"My hunch for some time now has been that a new build is unlikely which, while hugely frustrating, at least gives us clarity. No deal with the CCG was always better than a bad deal which would have seen the piecemeal reconfiguration of services away from Winchester. We now have to focus on securing the RHCH by supporting the local NHS to deliver its STP and press for much needed capital investment on the Winchester and Basingstoke sites."
Dr Sarah Schofield, Chair of West Hampshire CCG said: "The two CCGs want to focus initially on developing plans to improve care out of hospital. This should help to manage the growing demand on the acute hospitals."
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Steve Brine's Priority NHS
