Local leaders visit Potters Bar Community Hospital to explore neighbourhood care
Potters Bar Community Hospital recently welcomed The Rt Hon Sir Oliver Dowden CBE MP, local councillor John Graham, GP and Clinical Lead for the Hertsmere Neighbourhood Dr Anup Shah and members of local Patient Participation Groups for a visit focused on understanding the range of community health services currently offered at the site.
The visit provided an opportunity for guests to meet with staff the Trust, who deliver a variety of services at the hospital including clinics for people living with frailty, leg ulcers, heart failure, or in need of podiatry intervention. CLCH also provides inpatient rehabilitation, and coordinates home-based care such as community nursing, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy from the hospital. Potters Bar Community Hospital also has a range of other services for the local population, delivered by other healthcare providers.
This engagement was part of a wider conversation about how Potters Bar Community Hospital can continue to meet the evolving needs of local residents, particularly in light of the NHS’s shift toward a neighbourhood-based model of care outlined in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England. The model aims to bring services closer to where people live, ensuring more integrated and person-centred care.
Louise Ayres, Deputy Director of Operations for the Hertfordshire division of CLCH, said: “There are a wide range of services provided by CLCH at Potters Bar Community Hospital, alongside a number of other healthcare providers who use the site regularly to deliver care to the patients and communities we serve. We remain committed to working with partners and stakeholders – including primary care, local authorities, and patient groups – to continually develop services which reflect what local people truly need.
“As the NHS moves toward a neighbourhood-based model of care, sites like Potters Bar Community Hospital can become a vital resource for delivering integrated, person-centred services that support people to live healthier lives closer to home.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Oliver Dowden MP, Dr Anup Shah, Councillor John Graham and representatives from local patient groups to see first-hand how we care for our community, and to explore how we can continually evolve to provide the highest quality care with local needs in mind.”
