Press release: 23/01/2023
SAVE ST LEONARD’S FOR THE NHS: NO SELL OFF, NO RETAIL !!!
CAMPAIGN FOR PROPER FUNDING TO KEEP SERVICES LOCAL, says HACKNEY KEEP OUR NHS PUBLIC
JOIN OUR LOBBY OF THE COUNCIL ON 25TH JAN 6 PM TOWN HALL STEPS, MARE STREET.
St Leonard’s is at risk. Chris Kennedy, Cabinet member for Health, is now considering selling off some of the St Leonard’s site not only for residential but also possibly for retail usage, thus giving up this valuable NHS site for ever for much needed local NHS and care services (see his email below).
Hackney Keep Our NHS Public says ‘ NO SELL-OFF ST LEONARD’S. NO RETAIL. FIGHT FOR PROPER FUNDING’
Has Chris got his eye on a gentrification project like the ill fated ‘fashion hub’ in Morning Lane. ? Hoxton Street and the well-known Hoxton market just behind St Leonards have the shops that local people need. We don’t need more posh retail or flats costing millions of pounds.
We are calling upon our Council not to give in to government austerity budgeting but to join together with other Council to CAMPAIGN for proper funding for us to have decent NHS buildings. We expect to see Mayor Glanville and Cabinet lead for Health leading a fight, not giving in to ‘market forces’ and more gentrified coffee outlets listing 8 types of coffee for those who can afford it. We want this NHS site to be used for the current excellent clinics, as well as much needed step down care for people leaving hospital, and mental health care where families and friends can visit, in a decent modernised health centre.We want the Mayor, local authority rep on the Integrated Care Board (the new top NHS planning body for our area), to demand that NHS NE London includes St Leonard’s redevelopment for health and care in its estates plan.
FIGHT FOR OUR LOCAL NHS AND WE WILL SUPPORT YOU
—————————————————————————————-
NOTES
1. “The only point, and it is quite a major one, where our views diverge is on the acceptability or otherwise of cross-subsidising the restoration, refurbishment and expansion of healthcare facilities on the site with residential and/or retail accommodation for sale on the open market” email from Chris Kennedy to Marion Macalpine, Hackney KONP, 20 Jan 2023.
2. There was a successful occupation of St Leonard’s 40 years to keep it as a community health facility.
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E-mail from Cllr Chris Kennedy to Marion Macalpine of KONP Hackney
From: "Christopher Kennedy (Cllr)" <christopher.kennedy@hackney.gov.uk>
Date: 20 January 2023 at 18:30:05 GMT
To: Marion Macalpine (and others)
Subject: Re: LOBBY OF FULL COUNCIL 25TH JAN :KEEP ST.LEONARD'S FOR THE NHS AND SOCIAL CARE
Dear Marion,
Thank you for getting in touch with all of us about St. Leonard's Hospital following my answer to Cllr Oguzkanli's question at November Full Council. For ease of reference I have attached the full text. This lays out in full both the work being done by Homerton Healthcare and the approach of the council.
I think the only point, and it is quite a major one, where our views diverge is on the acceptability or otherwise of cross-subsidising the restoration, refurbishment and expansion of healthcare facilities on the site with residential and/or retail accommodation for sale on the open market. I believe the site will ultimately have to generate some of the funding that "saves" it, whilst to you and KONP the very idea is anathema.
Ardent supporters of St. Leonard's, amongst which I count you and all at KONP, have a proud history of activism and I am really pleased that some of you are working with our curators at Hackney Museum on a St Leonard's exhibition later in the year.
I will aim to come early on Wednesday so we have time to talk.
regards, Chris
Councillor Chris Kennedy, Hackney Wick Ward, London Borough of Hackney
Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Culture
Hackney Representative on the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
SAVE ST LEONARD’S FOR THE NHS: NO SELL OFF, NO RETAIL !!!
CAMPAIGN FOR PROPER FUNDING TO KEEP SERVICES LOCAL, says HACKNEY KEEP OUR NHS PUBLIC
JOIN OUR LOBBY OF THE COUNCIL ON 25TH JAN 6 PM TOWN HALL STEPS, MARE STREET.
St Leonard’s is at risk. Chris Kennedy, Cabinet member for Health, is now considering selling off some of the St Leonard’s site not only for residential but also possibly for retail usage, thus giving up this valuable NHS site for ever for much needed local NHS and care services (see his email below).
Hackney Keep Our NHS Public says ‘ NO SELL-OFF ST LEONARD’S. NO RETAIL. FIGHT FOR PROPER FUNDING’
Has Chris got his eye on a gentrification project like the ill fated ‘fashion hub’ in Morning Lane. ? Hoxton Street and the well-known Hoxton market just behind St Leonards have the shops that local people need. We don’t need more posh retail or flats costing millions of pounds.
We are calling upon our Council not to give in to government austerity budgeting but to join together with other Council to CAMPAIGN for proper funding for us to have decent NHS buildings. We expect to see Mayor Glanville and Cabinet lead for Health leading a fight, not giving in to ‘market forces’ and more gentrified coffee outlets listing 8 types of coffee for those who can afford it. We want this NHS site to be used for the current excellent clinics, as well as much needed step down care for people leaving hospital, and mental health care where families and friends can visit, in a decent modernised health centre.We want the Mayor, local authority rep on the Integrated Care Board (the new top NHS planning body for our area), to demand that NHS NE London includes St Leonard’s redevelopment for health and care in its estates plan.
FIGHT FOR OUR LOCAL NHS AND WE WILL SUPPORT YOU
—————————————————————————————-
NOTES
1. “The only point, and it is quite a major one, where our views diverge is on the acceptability or otherwise of cross-subsidising the restoration, refurbishment and expansion of healthcare facilities on the site with residential and/or retail accommodation for sale on the open market” email from Chris Kennedy to Marion Macalpine, Hackney KONP, 20 Jan 2023.
2. There was a successful occupation of St Leonard’s 40 years to keep it as a community health facility.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
E-mail from Cllr Chris Kennedy to Marion Macalpine of KONP Hackney
From: "Christopher Kennedy (Cllr)" <christopher.kennedy@hackney.gov.uk>
Date: 20 January 2023 at 18:30:05 GMT
To: Marion Macalpine (and others)
Subject: Re: LOBBY OF FULL COUNCIL 25TH JAN :KEEP ST.LEONARD'S FOR THE NHS AND SOCIAL CARE
Dear Marion,
Thank you for getting in touch with all of us about St. Leonard's Hospital following my answer to Cllr Oguzkanli's question at November Full Council. For ease of reference I have attached the full text. This lays out in full both the work being done by Homerton Healthcare and the approach of the council.
I think the only point, and it is quite a major one, where our views diverge is on the acceptability or otherwise of cross-subsidising the restoration, refurbishment and expansion of healthcare facilities on the site with residential and/or retail accommodation for sale on the open market. I believe the site will ultimately have to generate some of the funding that "saves" it, whilst to you and KONP the very idea is anathema.
Ardent supporters of St. Leonard's, amongst which I count you and all at KONP, have a proud history of activism and I am really pleased that some of you are working with our curators at Hackney Museum on a St Leonard's exhibition later in the year.
I will aim to come early on Wednesday so we have time to talk.
regards, Chris
Councillor Chris Kennedy, Hackney Wick Ward, London Borough of Hackney
Cabinet Member for Health, Adult Social Care, Voluntary Sector and Culture
Hackney Representative on the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Question to Cllr Kennedy from Cllr Oguzkanli
Can the Cabinet Member give assurances that the Council will work with partners and stakeholders to make sure that the future of St Leonard’s hospital remains a fully comprehensive health service aimed at providing much-needed health services in Hackney?
Response - sent 27/11
Dear Deniz,
Thank you for the question at Full Council regarding the future of St Leonards. As we unfortunately ran out of time for me to answer your question in person at the meeting, I am sending you this written response.
St Leonards is currently owned and managed by NHS Property Services (NHSPS). NHSPS do not have any plans to change the usage of the site so there are no immediate risks to the site as a provider of NHS services. That said, the current arrangement also means that there is a lost opportunity to maximise the benefit of what is a large and well-situated site within Hackney, within the context of population growth and increasing demand for health services.
The existing provision at the site is a GP surgery and outpatient departments including sexual health services, podiatry, rehabilitation services, talking therapies and wheelchair services - whilst there is much going on, I would not describe it as “a fully comprehensive health service” Famously saved from complete closure by a public campaign in the 1980s, the building ceased to function as a General Hospital in 1984 and the services currently provided there are those of what we would now call a health centre rather than a hospital.
Both the Council and Homerton Healthcare have scoped various options for improving the site and would ideally want to bring the site under local management and control.
In 2019 the Council, Homerton, what was the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHSPS facilitated a viability exercise to explore whether improving the healthcare facilities on site might be achievable by including housing on site to create income that could be reinvested. Unfortunately the exercise concluded that such a project would not be financially viable.
Louise Ashley, CEO Homerton Healthcare and City and Hackney system lead was asked about St Leonard’s at the Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission on November 16th 2022. She confirmed that Homerton Healthcare, under NHS rules, has the ability to take the site over from NHS Property Services.
Homerton have formally started the process to test feasibility for taking on St Leonards, an approach which the Council are supporting. The Homerton submitted an Expression of Interest regarding a potential asset transfer to the Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC), which was approved in October 2021. The approval gave the Homerton access to the site documentation and financials held by NHSPS, which enabled them to commence work on a full ‘Business Case’ which will detail the financial viability of the site, the costs to manage the backlog of maintenance and the ongoing schedule of works.
If Homerton Healthcare were to take over the site, they would then take on all of the associated maintenance and other costs of the building. The site has suffered from years of decline, so these costs are likely to be considerable. Several buildings are in a state of disrepair, with some areas locked off and marked as dilapidated. There is a considerable maintenance backlog and work is required to bring the site back up to the standards of a modern healthcare facility. Due to the age and nature of the site, it is expensive to maintain, and the Homerton has to operate within strict capital spending limits set by the government.
Early findings suggest that the costs of running the site will outstrip any income received from running services or rent from other tenants and make it unaffordable for the Homerton as a single owner to operate the premises. Homerton would, understandably, not be able to take on St Leonards if it was unaffordable. They are, however, exploring all options to try and make it feasible, and are currently progressing land value assessments to examine all the possibilities that the site may have to generate inherent value, to support the business case.
Council officers meet regularly with the Homerton to explore partnership options on the site. Our intention in that work is to be sure that we do not inadvertently miss an opportunity that might work with the input of both parties to make more of the site should it arise. Right now it is hard to see how that might come about, but regular dialogue meanwhile only helps to build stronger mutual understanding and so strengthens the working partnership.
It is worth repeating that, outside of the potential asset transfer to the Homerton, there are no plans for NHSPS to change the current usage of the site, and it will continue to provide NHS community services as it currently does. Likewise, local partners will continue to work with NHSPS to try and improve the current condition of the site as far as possible.
I hope that this response is helpful, but if you have any further questions please do come back to me.
Kind regards, Chris
Cllr Chris Kennedy
Can the Cabinet Member give assurances that the Council will work with partners and stakeholders to make sure that the future of St Leonard’s hospital remains a fully comprehensive health service aimed at providing much-needed health services in Hackney?
Response - sent 27/11
Dear Deniz,
Thank you for the question at Full Council regarding the future of St Leonards. As we unfortunately ran out of time for me to answer your question in person at the meeting, I am sending you this written response.
St Leonards is currently owned and managed by NHS Property Services (NHSPS). NHSPS do not have any plans to change the usage of the site so there are no immediate risks to the site as a provider of NHS services. That said, the current arrangement also means that there is a lost opportunity to maximise the benefit of what is a large and well-situated site within Hackney, within the context of population growth and increasing demand for health services.
The existing provision at the site is a GP surgery and outpatient departments including sexual health services, podiatry, rehabilitation services, talking therapies and wheelchair services - whilst there is much going on, I would not describe it as “a fully comprehensive health service” Famously saved from complete closure by a public campaign in the 1980s, the building ceased to function as a General Hospital in 1984 and the services currently provided there are those of what we would now call a health centre rather than a hospital.
Both the Council and Homerton Healthcare have scoped various options for improving the site and would ideally want to bring the site under local management and control.
In 2019 the Council, Homerton, what was the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHSPS facilitated a viability exercise to explore whether improving the healthcare facilities on site might be achievable by including housing on site to create income that could be reinvested. Unfortunately the exercise concluded that such a project would not be financially viable.
Louise Ashley, CEO Homerton Healthcare and City and Hackney system lead was asked about St Leonard’s at the Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission on November 16th 2022. She confirmed that Homerton Healthcare, under NHS rules, has the ability to take the site over from NHS Property Services.
Homerton have formally started the process to test feasibility for taking on St Leonards, an approach which the Council are supporting. The Homerton submitted an Expression of Interest regarding a potential asset transfer to the Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC), which was approved in October 2021. The approval gave the Homerton access to the site documentation and financials held by NHSPS, which enabled them to commence work on a full ‘Business Case’ which will detail the financial viability of the site, the costs to manage the backlog of maintenance and the ongoing schedule of works.
If Homerton Healthcare were to take over the site, they would then take on all of the associated maintenance and other costs of the building. The site has suffered from years of decline, so these costs are likely to be considerable. Several buildings are in a state of disrepair, with some areas locked off and marked as dilapidated. There is a considerable maintenance backlog and work is required to bring the site back up to the standards of a modern healthcare facility. Due to the age and nature of the site, it is expensive to maintain, and the Homerton has to operate within strict capital spending limits set by the government.
Early findings suggest that the costs of running the site will outstrip any income received from running services or rent from other tenants and make it unaffordable for the Homerton as a single owner to operate the premises. Homerton would, understandably, not be able to take on St Leonards if it was unaffordable. They are, however, exploring all options to try and make it feasible, and are currently progressing land value assessments to examine all the possibilities that the site may have to generate inherent value, to support the business case.
Council officers meet regularly with the Homerton to explore partnership options on the site. Our intention in that work is to be sure that we do not inadvertently miss an opportunity that might work with the input of both parties to make more of the site should it arise. Right now it is hard to see how that might come about, but regular dialogue meanwhile only helps to build stronger mutual understanding and so strengthens the working partnership.
It is worth repeating that, outside of the potential asset transfer to the Homerton, there are no plans for NHSPS to change the current usage of the site, and it will continue to provide NHS community services as it currently does. Likewise, local partners will continue to work with NHSPS to try and improve the current condition of the site as far as possible.
I hope that this response is helpful, but if you have any further questions please do come back to me.
Kind regards, Chris
Cllr Chris Kennedy
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