Over the next four weeks we are engaging with local people over a proposed relocation for our community dermatology services in Ellesmere Port.

We are considering moving these services from Hope Farm Surgery to Ellesmere Port Hospital – which is one mile away. No decisions have been made yet and we are giving people the chance to share views before any agreement is made.

We believe the move has a number of benefits for patients. These include:

  • Larger space at Ellesmere Port Hospital, with improved lighting.
  • A dedicated waiting room for dermatology patients at Ellesmere Port Hospital, which would increase privacy and dignity, and ensure a more seamless experience. Our waiting room at Hope Farm Surgery is currently shared by a number of services.
  • Moving to Ellesmere Port Hospital would enable us to increase the number of appointments available for patients. As clinic space is limited at Hope Farm Surgery, we are currently limited in the number of appointments we can offer.
  • Ellesmere Port Hospital is a well-known, accessible hub for healthcare services in the area. Bus services to the hospital are also more frequent than those to Hope Farm Surgery.
  • Ellesmere Port Hospital has its own car park. Like the car park at Hope Farm Surgery, the car park at Ellesmere Port Hospital is shared between different services.

We would also like to reassure all current patients who access the service that, if dermatology services moved to Ellesmere Port Hospital:

  • You would continue to receive care from the same dermatology team.
  • Referral and appointment processes would not change.
  • The team would continue to provide the same treatments and services.

The identified space at Ellesmere Port Hospital has been reviewed by the team, who support the plans and agree it would work well as a base for delivering dermatology services.

We understand that local people may have some thoughts about the proposed move. Your views are important to us and we want to understand how any proposed changes might impact you before making any decisions.

If you would like to share your thoughts on the proposed move, you can contact us by:

Filling out our short survey at: https://bit.ly/4qQzDMd or by posting your feedback to: Dermatology, Hope Farm Medical Centre, Hope Farm Road, Ellesmere Port, CH66 2WW

Please share any feedback with us by Monday 23 March.