the (small) hypermodern local acute hospital >>> >>> >>> “Yes, it is possible to provide gold standard acute hospital care in a small local hospital in a cost-effective way... it is just difficult and requires a number of NHS conventions to be defied.”

The future of our hospitals is under incredible stress:
Futures Forum: The future of East Devon's hospitals >>> campaigning to keep - and expand funding
Futures Forum: District Council registers its "extreme concern" at the impending loss of community hospital beds

But there are alternatives.

Here is a design document promoting the ideal local hospital. Instead of centralising around the distant District General Hospital, it advocates integrated inpatient and O/P care services at the heart of the community:

Hypermodern_small2.pdf

In other words:

It is now feasible to offer world-class acute hospital care to smaller populations for clients willing to think outside the traditional NHS box. 

The hypermodern local acute hospital concept offers the clinical firepower of the district general hospital within a revolutionary approach to hospital design that will deliver a very high standard of care and patient experience with lower operating costs than the conventional hospital.

Medical Architecture The Hypermodern Hospital - Providing Acute Care Locally - Medical Architecture

Ten years ago, this kind of innovative care was being promoted by North Devon NHS:
Microsoft Word - 100_finalreporttext_v4_250806.doc
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