I’m pleased to share a major step forward in our campaign to secure a brand new Neighbourhood Health Centre for Bitterne.
This week, the Government confirmed funding for 250 new Neighbourhood Health Centres across England, delivered through the new NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. More than 120 centres will be completed by 2030, with the remainder built by 2035, using a combination of public investment and carefully designed partnership models that ensure value for money and accountability throughout.
The programme will prioritise areas with lower healthy life expectancy and those most in need of stronger community health services. Importantly, it will also prioritise locations with suitable existing buildings that can be renovated and brought back into use, a key advantage for Bitterne.
Our campaign began at the NHS community coffee morning earlier this year, where residents told me clearly that they wanted to see NHS services brought back to Bitterne after the walk-in centre was closed in 2015. Since then, the campaign has continued to grow, with hundreds, nearly a thousand, local people now signing my petition calling for a Neighbourhood Health Centre for our community.
This new national programme aligns perfectly with the case we’ve been making. The Government’s NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild plans include:
- modern, fit-for-purpose buildings
- GPs, nurses, physios, mental health support, pharmacists, diagnostics and rehabilitation all under one roof
- extended opening hours where possible
- services closer to home, reducing pressure on hospitals
- and a strong focus on upgrading and repurposing existing health estate wherever viable.
This is exactly the right model for Bitterne, and exactly what residents have been calling for.
With funding secured nationally, the next step is for NHS England and local health leaders to begin identifying viable sites and drawing up proposals. I will make sure Bitterne is at the front of the queue.
- I am requesting an urgent meeting with the leadership of Hampshire & Isle of Wight ICB to put forward our case directly and ensure Bitterne is considered from the outset, especially given the programme’s emphasis on repurposing suitable buildings.
- I am writing again to the Health Secretary to make the case for Bitterne to keep the momentum from both PMQs and a previous letter of support.
- I will convene a Community Health Action Forum in the new year, bringing together local clinicians, community groups and council colleagues to demonstrate local need, shape the case for Bitterne, and build the strongest possible proposal.
- I will present our petition to Parliament in the new year, ensuring Ministers and NHS England see the depth of support and the clear community demand for this investment.
I first raised the need for a new health centre for Bitterne at Prime Minister’s Questions before the summer, calling on both the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary to prioritise our community. I will continue to speak up nationally until we secure the services Bitterne deserves.
This campaign is powered by local people, and this week’s announcement shows that our voices are being heard. With strong criteria that match Bitterne’s needs, the possibility of renovating existing buildings, and overwhelming community support, we are closer than ever to delivering a Neighbourhood Health Centre for our area.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the campaign so far. If you haven’t yet signed the petition, there is still time to add your name.
Let’s bring a Neighbourhood Health Centre to Bitterne, together.