10 April 2019

First step to new Health and Social Care Hubs for Banchory and Ellon announced

The Aberdeenshire Health and Social Partnership (AHSCP) is embarking on the first stage of a project to provide new Health & Social Care facilities in Banchory and Ellon.

The AHSCP and NHS Grampian are seeking to secure funding from the Scottish Government’s Health and Social Care Directorate through what is known as a HubCo project. Each HubCo project packages a number of projects together in order to get the maximum benefit from each investment.

To access funding the Programme Board must submit an Initial Agreement, which sets out why new facilities are needed, indicative costs and what primary care and social care services might be delivered from each new hub.

To ensure that the community are at the heart of each of these projects the AHSCP has organised public events in both Ellon and Banchory to ask people from the area what is most important to them about how they access Primary Health and Social Care.

Rhona Atkinson, Chair of the Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board (IJB) said: “This is a real opportunity for communities to be at the very heart of the design and delivery of a new health and social care hub. We have recently seen the opening of the Inverurie Health and Social Care Hub, which is a fantastic facility, and this is an opportunity to be involved in the development of equally wonderful facilities in your community.

“This is just the very first step in what will undoubtably be a long process, but we will keep our communities informed about progress at each step on the road.”

Cllr Anne Stirling, Vice Chair of the Aberdeenshire IJB, said: “Through these events it will become clear what is most important to people and, whilst we may not be able to deliver everything that people may want, it is really important that local people feel a sense of ownership of these two projects. We want to make sure that any new facilities fit the needs of the communities that they will serve, now and long into the future.

“Now is the time to ask yourselves not only ‘what services would I like to see in a new building?’ but also ‘what will be of the biggest benefit to my whole community old and young?’ The team working on the project need to be able to balance the needs and wishes of communities with the realities of what it costs to deliver a project on this scale.”

The public events will take place as follows:

Ellon


Tuesday 30th April
3 – 7pm
New Inn,
14 Market Street,
AB41 9JD 

Banchory


Wednesday 1st May
3 – 7pm
Banchory Guide Lodge,
Dee Street,
AB31 5HT

An online survey will be launched in the coming weeks to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to make their voices heard even if they cannot attend the sessions in person.

The aim of the events is to better understand what local priorities are when accessing Primary Care Services and views gathered from the public at these events will be used to inform future redesigns in primary care services within our communities and the desired outcome is to develop purpose-built health and care facilities within Ellon and Banchory.