HEALTH SECTOR NEWS
Buckinghamshire Council site set for neighbourhood care hub
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has purchased a site from Buckinghamshire Council to deliver neighbourhood- based care in Wycombe. The large site on Queen Victoria
Road will be repurposed into a ‘neighbourhood hub’, with existing buildings that can be adapted to provide modern clinical space, shared facilities for teams to work together, education and training opportunities, and other community-focused services. The location also includes around 180 parking spaces, supporting easier access for patients, visitors and staff. Developing the site will also provide an opportunity to bring some services out of the Wycombe Hospital site, supporting more visible and accessible neighbourhood care. The Trust will not take occupation
of the site for around a year, while Buckinghamshire Council continues to use the buildings. This time will be used to develop detailed proposals with NHS partners, GPs, the voluntary sector, local stakeholders, the public, and staff. Raghuv Bhasin, chief executive of Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS
YPO launches new public sector framework for modular buildings
Public sector buying organisation YPO has launched a ‘first-of-its-kind’ UK public sector framework for modular buildings. The YPO framework will
Trust, said: “Neighbourhood health is central to our strategy and to how we improve health services for people in Wycombe. We are delighted to purchase the Queen Victoria Road site, which gives us the space and flexibility to work with our partners to bring services together, create genuine neighbourhood health hubs, and make it easier for local people to access care closer to home. The site offers huge potential, not just for clinical services but also for collaboration, education and innovation.” Buckinghamshire Council Leader, Steven Broadbent, commented: “This is a hugely positive outcome for High Wycombe. Accepting Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS
Trust’s offer brings lasting community benefit, protects the building’s historic frontage and supports our wider regeneration and housing ambitions. Importantly, it ensures value for money for residents and secures the right long- term use for a prominent town-centre site. This decision strengthens our vision for a vibrant, welcoming and well- connected High Wycombe.” Dr Amanda Bartlett, GP lead for
prevention and health inequalities lead with Buckinghamshire GP Provider Alliance added: “The purchase of the site by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust creates a unique opportunity for local residents, who will be able to access a wide range of community services in one convenient location.”
£3.4m refurbishment at Sittingbourne hospital
Work has begun on a £3.4m refurbishment and change of use scheme at the Frank Lloyd Unit at Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital. The scheme is being delivered
by NHS Kent and Medway in partnership with NHS Property Services, which owns and manages the Frank Lloyd Unit, and forms part of a wider estates strategy across Swale to ensure NHS assets are used efficiently and aligned with population need. Planning
permission for the change of use was granted by Swale Borough Council in December 2025. The project will convert the
ground floor of the building into modern, fit for purpose GP accommodation, while Kent and Medway Mental Health Trust will retain occupation of the first floor for community mental health services. The co-location enables integrated service delivery while maximising use of the existing hospital estate. Alongside the internal
refurbishment, on-site parking and access arrangements are being reviewed, including opportunities to support sustainable travel to and from the site. Funding for the scheme combines NHS capital investment with Section 106 healthcare contributions secured from local developments, highlighting the role of planning gain in supporting healthcare infrastructure. The project supports the Kent and Medway Primary Care Strategy, which identifies Swale as
24 Health Estate Journal May 2026
an area of significant need for additional GP capacity. Once complete, The Chestnuts
Surgery will relocate from its existing premises. Andrew Strange, estate strategy lead – South at NHS Property Services, said: “This £3.4m project is an important step in boosting local primary care services and supporting neighbourhood health. It shows how different NHS teams can work together successfully to make better use of our buildings and create spaces that genuinely improve care for patients. We’re glad to be playing our part by helping to deliver it.” Dr Ash Peshen, deputy medical
director of Kent and Medway ICB commented: “We are delighted the project is moving forward. This is an important step in improving access to modern, high quality primary care services for the people of Sittingbourne, which is identified as a priority area for Kent and Medway.”
provide a compliant route to market for the purchase or hire of modular buildings across the public sector, including education, health, housing, and justice sectors. The new framework –
Modular Buildings and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) 1230 – has been designed to streamline the challenge of sourcing modern, adaptable, and sustainable ways to construct, expand or improve a public estate. This is the first Procurement Act 2023 compliant framework to cover such a broad range of modular buildings, including Common Assessment Standard (CAS) as a minimum standard. Launching the framework
stems from rising public sector demand for rapid build solutions, pressure on capital programmes, and the need to reduce carbon outputs. Michelle Walker, head of
procurement service and supply solutions at YPO, said: “We have an outstanding panel of providers on this agreement, which offers innovative and sustainable solutions to meet the needs of YPO customers across the public sector. The team is looking forward to engaging with these providers and supporting Contracting Authorities to maximise the benefits that can be released from the use of these products and services.”
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