Isle of Wight housing money to pay towards doctors' surgeries

It is in new plans coming forward from the Isle of Wight Council which would see financial contributions from developers going towards the primary care sector.

Speaking at a meeting of the council's executive last night (Thursday), Cllr Paul Fuller, the cabinet member for planning said he, and planning officers, are always questioned about how the health infrastructure on the Island will cope if more houses are built.

Cllr Fuller said as a result of that, officers were drafting a 'health contributions' supplementary planning document — which would be adopted by the council and turned into policy developers would have to oblige by.

He said: "This will set out how and when financial contributions will be sought from new developments with more than 20 units.

"The funding, we hope, will go towards primary care infrastructure improvements and also potentially to help extend GP practices so all we need now is the doctors."

The money would go towards areas where there are existing capacity issues, the council said.

The document is being prepared with the NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, which oversees the primary care network on the Island and allocates the funding.

Primary care services provide the first point of contact in the healthcare system, and include general practice, community pharmacy, dental and eye health services.

Developers building houses already have to pay money towards the provision of affordable housing elsewhere on the Island, if they are not creating any, and for other beneficial schemes in the area with money ringfenced for a particular project.

The draft policy is expected to come before the council for consideration later this year, after a formal six-week public consultation has taken place.