HAMPSHIRE residents are being urged to have their say on proposals on how to invest £700m to £900m in hospital services across the county, as a public consultation nears its end.

The countdown is on to the last day of the Hampshire Together consultation, which closes at midnight on Sunday, March 17.

All three options include building a new specialist acute hospital in Basingstoke.

There would also be significant refurbishment in the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, which would have a 24/7 doctor-led urgent treatment centre, a same-day emergency care service, dedicated planned surgery centre, inpatient beds and midwife-led maternity services. However, the hospital would lose its A&E department.

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Andover Advertiser: The three optionsThe three options (Image: HHFT)

The NHS in Hampshire has been gathering feedback on how best to invest in its hospital services for the future. Hospital bosses are urging people to have their say in the last two weeks of the consultation, including on where they think the new hospital would be best placed – near Junction 7 of the M3 or on the current Basingstoke hospital site.

Hampshire health leaders believe that any options would improve specialist and emergency care, transform outpatient services and create a dedicated children’s department for the first time in this part of Hampshire. The proposals also aim to reduce the number of planned operations postponed at short notice and bring healthcare teams onto the same site.

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Dr Lara Alloway, chief medical officer at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, said: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform our hospitals and the services and care that we provide.

“Since December, we have been talking with and listening to our patients, local people, communities, partners, and staff.

“By the time the consultation closes, we will have run more than 20 in-person listening events, in different places and at different times and days, more than eight online events, as well as pop-up stands in more than 10 different locations, drop-in exhibitions, one-to-one telephone interviews, and focus groups with people across the area.

“The consultation will close on 17 March, and we’re keen to hear from as many people as possible, in whichever way is most convenient for them. This is your NHS – please make sure you have your say.”

Patients, local people, and NHS staff can get involved in the consultation by using the online questionnaire, emailing hiowicb-hsi.mohhs@nhs.net, calling 0300 561 0905, or writing to Freepost Hampshire Together.

To access the online questionnaire go to online.ors.org.uk/questionnaire/2010C41?clear_session=true&language=en. And for more information go to hampshiretogether.nhs.uk/.