Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust is proposing to sell off 'surplus' land at Rushden Hospital in Wymington Road for housing as part of wider proposals to create a new health resource centre at the site.

But concerns have been raised about the scheme since Rushden and Wellingborough MP Peter Bone revealed in the Evening Telegraph on Saturday he was opposing other proposals by Kettering General Hospital which could see outpatient services moved from Rushden's Memorial Clinic in Hayway to Irthlingborough.

Rushden charity Serve, which cares for older and disabled people, has suggested the services at the Memorial Clinic should be moved to the hospital rather than outside the town.


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Serve's Barry Graves said: "Discussions have taken place over many years about relocating the services at Rectory Road Clinic and the Memorial Clinic into a new building at Wymington Road which would include services such as radiology and dentists.

"Now existing services could be moved to Irthlingborough while housing will be built on a large part of the Wymington Road site.

"My concern is older people in Rushden who depend on public transport and our community car scheme will be faced with higher costs to keep their appointments."

Brian Vissian, 72, of Wymington, said: "Rushden has grown so much in my lifetime, I'm sure there will be a need for even more healthcare services in the future.

"If they sell off part of the site for housing they are wasting a valuable asset."

People have until Friday, November 28, to comment on the proposals for Rushden Hospital.

The new health resource centre would accommodate community mental health services for adults, older people, children and adolescents, and
community services for people with learning disabilities.

The trust has said it will safeguard land at the hospital for the future expansion of health services on the site.

Northamptonshire Healthcare service development director David Bell said: "The way health services operate has changed significantly in recent years.

"We want to make sure we get the right overall plan and we're very interested to hear local people's views of our proposals."

The proposals, a consultation leaflet and a response form are on www.northamptonshire.nhs.uk/nht.