Primary healthcare at Upper Lighthorne

Overview

Lighthorne Parish Council is partnering with 23 other local parish councils to campaign for timely and appropriate provision of primary healthcare at the Upper Lighthorne development. Former councillor Andy Smith continues to drive this.

Status

A summary of updates provided in the minutes of the Parish Council meetings can be found below.

A web site has been created as a one-stop-shop for the background and current status of this issue – smithdom.uk/ulnhs. LPC gives their thanks to Andy Smith for all of his hard work on this project.

13 May 2025

Andy Smith recapped and updated: It is hoped that Lindsay Ward, Practice Manager at St Wulfstan, will attend the Upper Lighthorne Parish Council AGM on the 14th May to explain the benefits of Social Prescribing. Meanwhile there has been no indication of progress towards the Homes England supported temporary GP facility. Planning application 23/01706/REM, remains without a determination, despite the extension of the target date from 31st October 2023 to 14th March 2025. This application remains key to progress. ULPC are being encouraged to try and have a meeting with SDC to progress the matter. Should ULPC not show any motivation for taking the matter forward themselves, LPC might have to withdraw its involvement.

8 April 2025

Andy Smith recapped and updated: Lindsay Ward, Practice Manager at St Wulfstan, was unable to make the last Upper Lighthorne Parish Council meeting. Their AGM is on the 14th May and I am lobbying for her attendance at that meeting, to explain the benefits of Social Prescribing. Meanwhile there has been no indication of progress towards the Homes England supported temporary GP facility. Planning application 23/01706/REM, remains without a determination, despite the extension of the target date from 31st October 2023 to 14th March 2025. We are told that this application is key to progress.

11 March 2025

Andy Smith recapped and updated:

With the temporary GP service in Upper Lighthorne not expected until the end of this year at the earliest, lobbying continues for a presence in Upper Lighthorne ahead of this. Engagement with Simon Doble of the ICB elicited a suggestion that “community prescribing from community spaces” might be possible as part of “outreach services“. He asserts that St Wulfstan are keen to pursue this. As a result, Practice Manager Lindsay Ward has been invited to the Upper Lighthorne Parish Council meeting on 20th March at 7pm to explain what these services are, and to give her take on the progress towards a GP service in Upper Lighthorne. If Lindsay is able to accept the invitation I will make this known so that anyone wishing to hear this can attend the ULPC meeting.

13 February 2025

Andy Smith recapped and updated:

Best estimates for the delivery of the Homes England supported scheme to provide a temporary GP service in Upper Lighthorne are about one year from now. There are still planning considerations to be resolved, in particular 23/01706/REM which has an EoT (Extension of Time) for resolution until 14th March 2025. In concert with Upper Lighthorne Parish Council we will continue to monitor progress, and lobby as and when deemed necessary.

14 January 2025

Andy Smith recapped and updated:

The ICB committed to a permanent GP service at UL back in January 2023, but the service would be years away. There was an obligation on the CEG consortium of builders to support a temporary GP facility, but in 2018 the CCG lifted this obligation, as far as we can tell without any community consultation, or indeed any plausible explanation. The ICB, until recently, was resolutely against revisiting that decision.

The ICB selected St Wulfstan to run the permanent GP service, and we are fortunate that St Wulfstan are proactive in working with us and SDC to explore options for a temporary GP service.

Homes England were never under any obligation to support a temporary GP service. Nevertheless they entered into constructive negotiations with SDC and St Wulfstan to see if some planned retail units could be brought forward and adapted to host a temporary GP service. These negotiations have been fruitful, and planning application 24/01668/AMD has now been approved to allow that to go ahead. It was the sensitivity of these negotiations that prevented me from updating you in more detail and earlier.

The ICB is now supportive of this scheme. Our MP has continued to lobby on our behalf, as have district councillors. Our thanks to them.

On 12th December a Teams call took place involving SDC, the ICB, our MP, Cllr Mills, and Cllr Ben Robinson – chair of Upper Lighthorne Parish Council, from which we can take the following:

Cllr Mills asked when the retail unit construction will begin, the answer being Spring 2025.
Estimated time to construct and make ready? 12 months, so possible temporary GP service by Spring 2026.
The ICB don’t want any break in service once started, so the contract for using the temporary accommodation needs to be extendable in case the permanent facility is delayed. Our MP has offered support to ensure this flexibility can be delivered.
There is some interest from a dentist.
As yet unclear on a pharmacy, but this is recognised as important.

12 November 2024

Andy Smith reported: Tony Perks met UL reps on 31/10/24 to update – ICB are now supporting a temporary facility – SDC are actively pursuing a mid-term temporary location for a GP – If agreed it should deliver a mid-term GP service during 2027, which will last until the permanent community hub is ready. Architects have been engaged, and these stakeholders will remain engaged during the design and delivery of the permanent community hub. A public consultation is to be expected at some point. This activity is primarily the concern of Upper Lighthorne – the rest of the parishes are primarily concerned that UL residents will, in due course, no longer have to register with the GP practice closest to each parish.

9 July 2024

Andy Smith reported: Following the appointment of the St Wulfstan practice to run a permanent GP practice in Upper Lighthorne, the practice principal and practice manager have been engaged with the Upper Lighthorne Support Partnership and the Gaydon Community Forum. They have expressed in these engagements a desire to set up a presence in Upper Lighthorne as soon as possible. However, it remains unclear how this might be facilitated. It is understood that SDC are exploring options with St Wulfstan and with the developer representatives, but that the option of a Portakabin has been ruled out. Separately, and in parallel, Andy Smith has been working with the Upper Lighthorne Community Champion to explore any existing buildings that might serve as a venue for a temporary GP service. This is ongoing. We have the benefit of continuity with our MP retaining the Kenilworth & Southam seat, and so we hope to have his support again soon to try to get some momentum back into the push for a temporary GP service.

14 May 2024

Andy Smith reported: St Wulfstan Surgery in Southam has been selected by the ICB to provide primary healthcare services in the new permanent health facility at Upper Lighthorne. Andy Smith has met with the lead practitioner and the practice manager and is arranging introductions with the two main developer representatives with a view to exploring options for a temporary GP service to be established in Upper Lighthorne. St Wulfstan have expressed a desire to establish a presence as soon as possible. St Wulfstan will join the Upper Lighthorne Support Partnership call on 17th May in order to introduce themselves to more community representatives. All very encouraging, but work still to be done to bring this to a successful conclusion.

A web site has been created as a one-stop-shop for the background and current status of this issue – smithdom.uk/ulnhs.

LPC gives their thanks to Andy Smith for all of his hard work on this project.

9 April 2024

Andy Smith reported: SDC confirm that a contract has been offered to a GP practice to run a permanent facility at Upper Lighthorne, subject to ratification by the ICB Procurement Panel and Finance & Performance Committee, which is due to happen on 1st May. A formal confirmation is expected at a meeting between SDC, the ICB and Sir Jeremy Wright, scheduled for the 3rd May. After the formal confirmation the selected GP practice will be engaged with a view to establishing a temporary GP service in Upper Lighthorne.

A web site has been created as a one-stop-shop for the background and current status of this issue – smithdom.uk/ulnhs.

13 February 2024

Andy Smith reported: SDC’s Deputy Chief Executive advises The ICB’s Primary Care Group have endorsed the Tandem Projects report. He further reports that the ICB are seeking to appraise applications during March 2024 and appoint a GP practice in April 2024. SDC continue to progress.

The immediate priority is to ensure the selection of a GP practice for Upper Lighthorne as soon as possible. That practice will then be encouraged to explore, with the developers, how a temporary GP service can be introduced at Upper Lighthorne to bridge the gap until a permanent facility can be delivered. A web site has been created as a one-stop-shop for the background and current status of this issue – smithdom.uk/ulnhs.

9 January 2024

Andy Smith reported: Representatives for the 24 parishes, including Cllrs Parry & Mills as our District and County representatives and Cllrs Rock and Coles as Deputy Leader and portfolio holder, will meet with SDC on Friday 12th where we will hopefully be given more details on the proposal for the Upper Lighthorne village hub emerging from the Tandem Projects study, and jointly proposed by SDC and the ICB. This proposal will be considered, and hopefully adopted at an SDC Cabinet meeting on 15th January. Details of the Cabinet meeting including the agenda and the Tandem Projects report are now available on the SDC web site. The ICB has a Board meeting on 17th January. We assume this report will be on their agenda but at the time of writing no details are available from the ICB web site. We hope that adoption of this report by both SDC and the ICB will finally see some tangible progress on the delivery of much needed services in Upper Lighthorne.

12 December 2023

Andy Smith reported: A further meeting between the ICB, SDC, and our MP to place on 23rd November. The ICB confirmed that the selection of a GP practice to run Upper Lighthorne may take six months, but may be completed sooner than that. An examination of ICB meeting minutes online shows many recent references to developer contributions being insufficient to fund new primary health estate. We hope that the imminent Options Feasibility Assessment commissioned by SDC will show that there is a viable option, and we are lobbying SDC to secure another meeting to go through this assessment in detail, and to understand what issues remain. Cabinet sign-off of the report is expected on 15th January.

14 November 2023

Andy Smith reported: On 23rd June the ICB committed to select a GP practice by the end of October. They have reneged on that commitment and now say it will take until May 2024. The ICB appeared before SDC’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 3rd October where they came under rigorous questioning over the proposed down grading of the Ellen Badger facility in Shipston. Unfortunately this did not allow time for any discussion on Upper Lighthorne. The OSC meeting was live streamed for public consumption, but unfortunately no recording has been made available. We are lobbying SDC to make available such recordings in the interest of public scrutiny. The next opportunity for scrutiny of the ICB is at a private meeting with Sir Jeremy Wright scheduled for 23rd November. We are lobbying SJW and SDC to attempt to secure a firm schedule from the ICB, along with checkpoints and updates to give confidence that progress is being made.

10 October 2023

Andy Smith reported: We have no evidence to suggest that the ICB have meaningfully engaged with the three GP practices we know to have expressed interest in running a service at Upper Lighthorne. The ICB’s previously started target of selecting a GP practice by the end of October is fast approaching. We are aware of various meetings taking place and are ensuring that those chairing those meetings are fully briefed. Hopefully we will have some more substantive news in time for the November parish council meeting. Cllr Parry confirmed that Jeremy Wright MP is still supporting and will follow up with the ICB.

12 September 2023

Andy Smith reported: The ICB’s process for selecting a GP practice began mid July and was stated as ending in October. As such we are more than half way through the process. We understand from SDC that four GP practices are participating. We are engaged with three of those but are not certain of the fourth. The ICB is scheduled to appear before the SDC Oversight & Scrutiny Committee on 3rd November. We will ensure that the chairman of that committee is fully briefed on the latest situation so that pertinent questions can be asked. Tandem Projects of Newbold on Stour have been engaged by SDC to complete an options feasibility study for the village centre at Upper Lighthorne. This is scheduled to be complete at about the same time as the ICB’s GP selection. We engaged with their lead consultant very early to ensure that the objectives of the 24 parishes are fully understood. We continue to lobby SDC to keep up the pressure on the ICB.

11 July 2023

The ICB opened a period for Expressions of Interest from GP practices wishing to run the permanent health centre at Upper Lighthorne. This closed on the 7th July. The ICB have given themselves until 30th October 2023 to make their selection of GP practice, and until 2027 to establish a GP service in Upper Lighthorne. Radway has joined the parishes signed up to the Statement of Objectives, so we are now 24 parishes. We will seek to engage with those GP practices who are in the frame to run the permanent facility with the objective of persuading them to consult with the developers over the provision of a temporary GP service in Upper Lighthorne as soon as possible.

Report from GLH New Village Centre Exhibition 15th June 2023 – 3:30 to 19:00

Andy Smith attended on behalf of LPC. The developers of the Upper Lighthorne development held an exhibition in Lighthorne Heath regarding the Upper Lighthorne Village Centre Design Brief. There was a printed survey soliciting feedback. Information regarding surveys was circulated on social media and to the LPC email after the event.

13 June 2023

The ICB continue to delay the formal start of their GP practice selection process for Upper Lighthorne. Originally committed for completion this July, we now hear via a third party that this has slipped to August. As yet we know of no GP practice that has formally been invited to express interest or tender. Following district council elections a new core team of six has been formed to pursue this issue. The six are district councillors Mills (also county), Parry, Rock & Coles, along with Kineton parish councillor Gosling, and former parish councillor Smith. Cllr Coles is the SDC portfolio holder for health. Efforts to bring pressure to bear on the ICB continue. An exhibition on the design of the Upper Lighthorne village centre at Lighthorne Heath Village Hall will be open to all on Thursday 15th June from 15:30 to 19:30.

9 May 2023

Cllr Gosling (Chair, Kineton) & former Cllr Smith have met with Kineton Surgery partners and practice manager. We now know of two GP practices seeking to run a permanent health facility at Upper Lighthorne, both of which express a willingness to engage with the developers to explore options for a temporary facility. The ICB have yet to invite any practice to submit a proposal, which calls into question their commitment to the July date that they set themselves to make their GP selection. Lobbying will continue.

11 April 2023

A letter from the ICB shows them to be intransigent on the provision of a temporary health facility, with a permanent facility possibly over four years away. A meeting with SDC officers clarified that they share some of our concerns, although their conversations with the ICB’s Estates Manager give a hint of possible softening on this. The ICB previously committed to select a GP partnership for the permanent facility by July 2023. Cllr Smith will respond to the ICB letter shortly, and remains committed to this project for as long as the twenty three parishes wish him to continue, or until a temporary health facility is secured.

14 March 2023

Having secured a commitment from the NHS to support a permanent health facility at Upper Lighthorne, lobbying efforts are now focussed on securing a temporary health facility to bridge the gap until a permanent facility can come online, which could be as late as July 2027.

Extract from Chairman’s Report, Annual Parish Meeting, 13 March 2023

Last year I reported on some doubt over primary healthcare provision at Upper Lighthorne. Proactive lobbying has resulted in 23 parishes signed up to a joint statement of objectives, and together we have secured a commitment from the NHS Integrated Care Board that Upper Lighthorne will indeed benefit from a dedicated health centre. This may not be up and running until July 2027, and so our lobbying efforts are now directed at securing a temporary facility in Upper Lighthorne to arrest the steady stream of new residents having to register with existing GP practices that are already under strain. This is a complex area requiring persistent enquiry and engagement to ascertain facts and to bring responsible parties together. We should not have to do this, but I will continue my involvement as long as there is a need, and as long as the 23 parishes wish me to. We are grateful for the support of local county and district councillors in this, as well as our MP.

14 February 2023

SDC have appointed a project manager called Hannah Heath. There is a meeting of the Parishes on 17th February. The ICB have committed to select a GP partnership for the permanent health facility by July 2023. Cllr Smith continues to lobby for provision of a temporary facility, and has committed to continue with this project beyond the May elections.

10 January 2023

Cllr Smith continues his liaison with the other affected parishes to put together combined responses. Meeting with the ICB scheduled for 20th January, Sir Jeremy Wright to attend.

13 December 2022

Cllr Smith continues his liaison with the other affected parishes to put together combined responses. SDC have confirmed verbally that it is their responsibility to drive the process to achieve the best outcome for Upper Lighthorne and surrounding parishes. There is to be a meeting with the ICB in January in person at Elizabeth House, including Sir Jeremy Wright and all principal stakeholders. The agenda is agreed, as are the meeting objectives of the 21 parishes.

8 November 2022

This a proving to be a complex issue to resolve. Cllr Smith continues his liaison with the other affected parishes to put together combined responses. An online questionnaire is being prepared for public consultation.

11 October 2022

Cllr Smith is engaging with WCC Portfolio Holder Margaret Bell, The South Warwickshire Place Partnership, and other bodies who have an interest, and hopefully some influence. Twelve parishes have now signed up to our joint statement of objectives, with more expected. The next engagement with GB Partnerships acting for the ICB is scheduled for 20th October, to discuss stakeholder engagement. Another meeting with our MP is envisaged following this.

27 September 2022

Cllr Smith has a conference call scheduled for Friday 30th September with the Integrated Commissioning Board (ICB) and Sir Jeremy Wright MP. Cllr Smith will be representing the nine parish councils that have signed up to a Statement of Objectives for Primary Healthcare at Upper Lighthorne. Directly following this Cllr Smith will attend the Upper Lighthorne Support Partnership meeting in Lighthorne Heath, where the responses of the ICB will be considered. Cllr Smith has spoken with representatives of Fenny Compton, Bishops Itchington, and Combrook parish councils. If they decide to support the statement of objectives then collectively some 20,000 residents will be represented.

9 August 2022

Nine parish councils have now signed up to a Statement of Objectives for Primary Healthcare at Upper Lighthorne (available on the Meetings page of the LPC web site). These nine parishes have support from District and County councillors, and from our MP. On behalf of the nine parishes Cllr Smith is lobbying those responsible for deciding on primary healthcare provision, seeking an urgent meeting so as to better understand how and when their decisions will be reached.

12 July 2022

Cllr Smith has attended a meeting of concerned parties. It was resolved to adopt and support the Primary Healthcare Objectives proposal.

14 June 2022

It was resolved to press for full healthcare provision on site and proper consultation on the issue. All parishes have objected to the CCG’s current suggestion of outsourcing healthcare to local GP surgeries with possible small satellite on site in the future. It appears the process has been paused and possible proper consultation might now occur. The situation will be closely monitored.

Extract from Chairman’s Report, Annual Parish Council Meeting, 17 May 2022

The long term repercussions of the fiercely opposed decision to build 3,000 homes on our doorstep will continue to require monitoring and scrutiny. The latest aspect to come to our attention is a report that suggests the promised primary health care provision for GLH may be watered down, increasing pressure on existing GP services, increasing traffic through neighbouring communities, and failing to provide convenient and adequate provision for the 7,000 or so residents of the new settlement. As always, Lighthorne will play an active role in holding the authorities to account, and in coordinating the response from affected parishes. We are grateful for the support of local county and district councillors in this.

Supporting Information

Sir Jeremy Wright

Our MP is supporting the campaign for primary healthcare provision.

Overview

Status

13 May 2025

8 April 2025

11 March 2025

13 February 2025

14 January 2025

12 November 2024

9 July 2024

14 May 2024

9 April 2024

13 February 2024

9 January 2024

12 December 2023

14 November 2023

10 October 2023

12 September 2023

11 July 2023

13 June 2023

9 May 2023

11 April 2023

14 March 2023

Extract from Chairman’s Report, Annual Parish Meeting, 13 March 2023

14 February 2023

10 January 2023

13 December 2022

8 November 2022

11 October 2022

27 September 2022

9 August 2022

12 July 2022

14 June 2022

Extract from Chairman’s Report, Annual Parish Council Meeting, 17 May 2022

Supporting Information

Agreed primary healthcare objectives

Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board

Upper Lighthorne

Sir Jeremy Wright

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