Potential health benefits of new Thorpe Wood hospital 'outweigh traffic concerns'

Peterborough City Council’s planning committee will meet on Tuesday, October 21 where they will be recommended to approve planning permission for a new medical facility in Thorpe Wood.

The proposed facility, which would be named Thorpe Wood Hospital, would serve as an extension to Fitzwilliam Hospital on Milton Way, South Bretton.

Planning documents stated: “Due to increased demand and lack of capacity in the area, this investment is seen as being important and intrinsic to reducing the continued increase in patient waiting times and deferred treatment and diagnostic services in the community.”

The nearby Fitzwilliam Hospital has “reached capacity” according to the plans and “essential expansion is urgently required” for day case and community diagnostics, providing on site MRI and CT scanners for early diagnostic and surgical intervention.

The new facility would also provide more bed capacity for more complex surgical procedures, but would not include any overnight accommodation.

A report to go before the planning committee, produced by a council planning officer, notes that the local highways service raised an objection to the plans with concerns around an increase in traffic at a “capacity constrained junction”.

However, the report states: “The health inequalities that face Peterborough are substantial and justify the need to overcome the highway concerns on this occasion.”

To mitigate the level of highway impact, conditions are added to the recommendation to include travel plans, a service and delivery management plan, and cycle parking provision. Other highway conditions relating to lighting and a construction traffic management plan are also recommended.

The proposed development, whilst functioning as a private medical facility, would typically have a split of 60 per cent NHS cases and 40 per cent private insurance cases.

“Whilst it is noted that the proposal will not solve the entire health inequality problem that Peterborough faces, it is accepted that it will play a substantial role in addressing those concerns,” the report adds.

A new facility would reportedly alleviate Fitzwilliam Hospital’s capacity constraints by transferring an estimated 4,637 elective day-case surgical procedures and 24,614 outpatient consultations and diagnostic scans annually, with both forecast to grow by 25 per cent per year over 10 years.

The proposed one-story medical facility would be operated by 142 members of staff working on a shift basis, creating around 90 full-time jobs in total, and a 112-space car park would be built to the south of the site.

It is recommended that members of the planning committee grant the application from WW Medical Ltd, subject to 21 conditions listed in the report.