St Ann's Hospital. Photo: Tony Gay

Doctors call for children’s centre in Tottenham hospital redevelopment

by Tim Lamden Saturday, July 28, 2012
7:00 AM

Doctors have urged authorities to ensure a new children’s health centre is built as part of a multi-million pound redevelopment of a Tottenham hospital.

Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust (BEHMHT) will conclude an eight-week public consulation on the future of St Ann’s Hospital, in St Ann’s Road, South Tottenham, next Friday.

Owners BEHMHT propose retaining all the current health provisions on the Victorian hospital site, but intend to condense them onto just over a third of the 29-acre site.

Under the plans, much of the site will be sold for housing.

At a meeting of Haringey Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday, Dr Tony Wheeler, a pediatrician at the St Ann’s Child Development Centre, and his colleague Dr Kim Holt, stressed the need for a new children’s centre.

Dr Wheeler said: “I want buildings that children want to walk into. This is such a chance for children in the borough which will give them something which is fit for the 21st century.

“This is about creating an environment which people will want to work in and children will want to come to.”

Cllr Martin Newton, Overview and Scrutiny Committee member, said the child development team’s ideas should be “taken seriously”, insisting it was “crucial” children’s services are integrated across Haringey to “provide a better and more joined up service”.

During Monday’s meeting, concerns were also raised that some of BEHMHT’s consultation literature had not been delivered to local residents.

Mario Petrou, chairman of Save St Ann’s Hospital Campaign Group, told the meeting BEHMHT’s plans for new housing were “unacceptable for local people”.

He added: “The mental health trust haven’t spent any money exploring what else can be done on this site.”

Andrew Wright, director of strategic development at BEHMHT, said the trust would present a “summary document” of the consultation findings in September, with a view to submitting a planning application by the end of the year.

Committee members on Monday recommended BEHMHT are flexible with the potential provisions on the site, with emphasis on a new children’s centre, and that greater clarity is provided about exactly what will be developed.