Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group released the following statement yesterday (10 October) about the SCAS-run First Aid Unit at Chipping Norton.
It is proposed that the Chipping Norton First Aid Unit (FAU) will move from its current location in the Chipping Norton Community Hospital building to the adjacent Chipping Norton Health Centre building.
Both are on the same site. The public and patients can view the new proposed location for the FAU at a public meeting in the town on 23 October.
The public meeting is being held at the Chipping Norton Health Centre, Russell Way, Chipping Norton OX7 5FA on Wednesday 23 October (7pm to 8pm). People can view the site and discuss the move with staff and clinicians.
The FAU which is managed by South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) has been providing care for minor injuries at the community hospital since 2011. It delivers care Monday to Friday 5pm to 9pm and at weekends and bank holidays 10am to 9pm.
Services delivered at the First Aid Unit will continue at the new location with the same highly skilled clinicians and the same opening hours. The unit will continue to be open to any member of the public who requires care and treatment. The move has the backing of the paramedics and clinicians, and provides an opportunity for closer working between health staff on site.
People are encouraged from the local area to attend the meeting on 23 October. It will be open to all – local people and visitors whether you are registered with a local GP or not. NHS staff will be answering questions, showing people round the building and listening to people’s views about the move. NHS partners want to show the public the new location which is only a few steps away from the current location.
The proposed move is in line with the NHS Long Term Plan aspirations around urgent care and is needed to ensure we comply with new NHS guidance. It will also bring benefits for patients and the service. For example, the First Aid Unit staff will be able to access more information about their patients to support their care and a wider range of dressings and medical equipment will also be available to them.
Further opportunities are being explored including sharing training and treatment skills to further improve patient care. In addition, the unit would have access to the pharmacy and its staff which could make prescription management more effective at the unit.
Diane Hedges, Chief Operating Officer at Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “We asked SCAS to work with the practice to give us an integrated solution that would benefit patients. The proposed move is welcome and has the support of the clinicians at SCAS and the health centre. This relocation is required under national NHS guidance intended to reduce the variation of services across the country offering walk-in urgent care. We are pleased to see that those providing these services are enthusiastic to explore all possible opportunities for improving care for patients which is what is most important.”
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