Torridge residents are to help shape a new name for Bideford’s former community hospital, as it is redeveloped into a modern health and wellbeing campus, incorporating a £6 million Community Diagnostics Centre (CDC).

Building work is well underway to redevelop the hospital building and create the new diagnostics centre, alongside shared spaces for partners to support health and wellbeing.

The project brings together £6million of NHS England investment for the CDC and £750,000 from the UK Government, through the Community Regeneration Partnership Fund, for the new health and wellbeing facilities.

At the CDC, patients will benefit from faster, more convenient access to a wider range of diagnostic tests closer to home, supporting earlier diagnosis and quicker treatment. It will offer x-ray, DEXA, ultrasound, audiology, phlebotomy and cardiology, helping to cut waiting times and unnecessary journeys. One-stop clinics will allow appointments, tests and results to happen in a single visit.

Alongside this, the new Health & Wellbeing Hub will provide additional clinic rooms, a large activity space and areas for professionals, partners and the voluntary sector to support people with more complex needs. These facilities span the hospital building and Bideford Medical Centre.

Feedback from the local community suggested that the name ‘hospital’ no longer described the health and wellbeing services soon to be available in Bideford.

Sue Matthews, Royal Devon Deputy Lead Governor, said: “The vision for this campus is to provide local people with access to services which support their health and wellbeing. Lots of different providers already offer services at Abbotsham Road, and the aim is for more organisations to use Bideford as their base, wrapping services around people, connecting and signposting them to support. Partners and the public told the Royal Devon that the name hospital didn’t capture this vision, and I have been asked by the Trust to chair a stakeholder group to test this with the public.”

Over the next few weeks, local people are being asked to help shape a new name that feels right for the community and supports clear understanding of the services available. An online survey has been created to gather views on what should guide the naming decision. 

The survey can be accessed here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Bidefordnaming/.

The survey is about naming the building itself, not the wider site. Once the building has its new name, the organisations based on the site, including Bideford Medical Centre, the Royal Devon and Devon Partnership Trust, will work together to agree a collective name for the whole site.

Chris Tidman, Deputy Chief Executive of the Royal Devon, said: “We know how important local services are to local people and this is an exciting time for the future of health and wellbeing services in Bideford. We want to make sure we describe these services in a way that helps people understand just how many they can access from Bideford. The NHS 10 Year Plan asks everyone involved in supporting health and wellbeing to work in neighbourhood teams. Reducing duplication and joining up services mean people feel more empowered and more supported to live healthy lives.”

The survey will run until midday on Tuesday 4 August.

The Bideford CDC is one of several major investments the Royal Devon is making to reduce waiting times and improve access by modernising our facilities. Other projects underway or where funding commitments have been given include:

• A new single MRI suite at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH).

• A new Clinical Research Hub at NDDH.

• Enhanced Same-Day Emergency Care facilities at both Exeter and Barnstaple.

• New staff and student residences at NDDH as part of the Our Future Hospital Programme.

• A new hybrid theatre at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford).

• A new surgical hub at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Heavitree).

• Expanding the CDC at the Nightingale Hospital, Exeter.

Together, these schemes will deliver more than £80million of investment over the next two to three years to deliver high-quality, efficient care and create a great place to work for staff.