Photo: Mayor David Skaith visiting the community diagnostic centre in Barnsley’s town centre.
The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire plans to bring healthcare services closer to communities in a bid to increase capacity in the NHS and boost high streets.
He has commissioned an in-depth study to draw up a plan for how a health on the high street project could work in the region.
The plan seeks to build on a trailblazing initiative in South Yorkshire which brought blood tests, ultrasounds and x-rays to a new shopping centre in the town.
David Skaith recently met with NHS representatives and leaders from Barnsley Council to understand the impact the project has had so far.
Since its opening in April 2022, the community diagnostic centre has been credited with a 24% reduction in overall appointment ‘did not attends’ on top of a 22% increase in mammogram attendance.
The facility also increased footfall in the town centre by an additional 55,000 visits, providing a major boost for local businesses.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
“Bringing tests, screenings and scans closer to where people live can make it much easier for them to get the care they need.
“We’ve already seen in South Yorkshire that putting health services on the high street works – it supports local shops, brings more people into town centres, and helps take pressure off hospitals.
“It’s about turning our high streets into places people can rely on, where support is easy to find and communities feel better.”
After seeing this success in a neighbouring region, Mayor David Skaith commissioned an outline case to see how a similar scheme could work in York and North Yorkshire.
So far that work has gathered key data on capacity today and into the near future for general and specialist areas across the region’s NHS trusts.
Using that data, and working with colleagues from local authorities, ICB’s and health partnerships and NHS Trusts to incorporate their priorities, the Combined Authority will draw up potential locations across our towns and cities to see where an investment into health on the high street would have the biggest impact.