Transformed Sutton Cottage Hospital due to reopen
The newly refurbished Royal Sutton Coldfield Cottage Hospital is due to reopen on Monday, 1 June following an 18-month, £8.5 million transformation into an integrated hub for healthcare services, with a particular focus on prevention of ill health and the wellbeing of older people.
Alongside a range of BCHC outpatient services for adults, the integration of primary care into the new Sutton Cottage sees the relocation of Vesey Practice from nearby James Preston Health Centre. The move enables Sutton Coldfield Group Practice to expand the range of services for patients, with seven ground-floor GP consulting rooms.
The practice plans to provide extended hours of care, with additional support available in the evenings and at weekends to help reduce the need to attend hospital.
The new facility delivers:
- extensive redevelopment of the 125-year-old Sutton Cottage Hospital site as a 'one stop' healthcare hub for over-65s in north Birmingham;
- integrated healthcare provided holistically between secondary, community and primary care (eg. respiratory, diabetes, podiatry, dietetics, chronic kidney disease, frailty, musculoskeletal, bladder and bowel services);
- community diagnostics to support integrated care and alternative pathways to acute hospitals (eg. X-ray, ECG, ultrasound, spirometry, echocardiography, phlebotomy);
- relocation of an established local general practice to support integrated care model;
- additional clinic and treatment rooms to support surge capacity and other 'seasonal' demands eg. winter pressures response and vaccinations;
- inclusion of voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector activity through personalised, non-clinical sessions.
A key benefit of the development is that patients should be able to see more than one specialist in a single visit, delivering a more personalised diagnostic experience and a more holistic preventative approach thanks to signposting to community advice and support.
The facility will also deliver increased capacity to see patients, improving access to care and reducing pressure on acute care services and demand for GP appointments as a gateway to primary care.
Representatives of a broad range of system partners have taken part in a series of workshops to develop the detail of an innovative model of community healthcare services in the north Birmingham locality, incorporating the new facilities at Sutton Cottage.
The service model that has been developed focusses on four key health priorities:
- respiratory care
- heart failure / circulatory disease
- frailty
- wound care
BCHC's chief transformation officer Chris Holt said:
“We are delighted that, after a long period of planning and preparation and 18 months of hard work on site, the new Royal Sutton Coldfield Cottage Hospital is now set to open for the community.
"The new facilities truly reflect the national ambition to deliver neighbourhood health services, with care shaped around local need. In Sutton Coldfield, that includes a strong focus on frailty and supporting older adults to live well and independently.
“At the same time, this is very much a hospital for the whole community. Co‑locating with Sutton Coldfield Group Practice creates real opportunities for more joined‑up, convenient care and better experiences for patients, and we are excited about what this will offer local people."
Sutton Coldfield Group Practice GP partner Roger Gent said:
“As we approach the date of the move of Vesey Practice to the newly refurbished Cottage Hospital, we are working hard to make the transition as smooth as possible for our patients.
“We are looking forward to being able to offer a wider range of services and working with our health, social and third sector colleagues to offer innovative projects and more integrated patient care. The focus continues to be on offering high quality care, as close to patients' homes as possible.
“There is a real excitement about this significant next step for the practice as we can see the future benefits for our patients and staff. These benefits will also improve the care provided to the wider Sutton Coldfield and north Birmingham community.
“We very much look forward to welcoming patients to the Cottage Hospital and will continue to engage on any issues and concerns in the coming weeks.”
Phil Steele, director of lead building contractors Manton, said:
“Delivering the renovation and upgrade of this historic building into a modern healthcare facility has been a highly rewarding challenge.
"The building’s complex history brought a number of unexpected discoveries during the works, but addressing these in close partnership with the BCHC estates team has been a particularly satisfying part of the journey.”
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