Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the proceeds of the sale of the land at Edenbridge War Memorial Hospital can be used to fund the new combined medical facility in Edenbridge.
Answered by Edward Argar
NHS Property Services has to date been required to reinvest proceeds of surplus site disposals in maintaining its existing estate. The Department is working now with NHS England and NHS Improvement to give NHS Property Services the ability to ringfence a proportion of future proceeds secured from disposals of surplus sites for reinvestment in local National Health Service estate priorities.
With regards to Edenbridge War Memorial Hospital, the site is not currently surplus to NHS operational requirements and unless this position changes and the property is vacated and sold, there are currently no such receipts available to reinvest. NHS Property Services is working closely with the Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group and the local Sustainability and Transformation Partnership to understand their priorities and how it can best support this.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people are included on the Shielded Patient List in (a) Tonbridge and Malling constituency, (b) Tonbridge and Malling Borough and (c) Sevenoaks District.
Answered by Jo Churchill
The information requested is not held at this local level.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with NHS Property Services on the return of Tonbridge Cottage Hospital to Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Answered by Edward Argar
Tonbridge Cottage Hospital transferred from West Kent Primary Care Trust upon its abolition in 2013 to NHS Property Services. Since May 2019 National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts can request a transfer of estate in the ownership of the NHS Property Companies, which includes NHS Property Services.
Applicant trusts are required to submit a business cases to the Department explaining how a transfer of ownership will benefit the local health system and confirming that the transfer would be on the terms set out in guidance. The Department will then decide whether the transfer should take place.
Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust submitted a business case for the transfer of Tonbridge Cottage Hospital in March 2020. We are currently assessing this and are in discussions with the trust and NHS Property Services as part of the process.
Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department provides to parish councils in assisting doctors' surgeries to find suitable venues for general practice.
Answered by Steve Brine
General practitioners are independent contractors and therefore it is primarily for them to identify suitable premises from which to provide National Health Service primary medical services.
NHS England offers support to practices where necessary, without the need to engage parish councils.