Bethnal Green gets new, improved health centre

Work has begun on a new Health Centre in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.  The work will see Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group investing £3.1 million in the relocation of the existing Globe Town Surgery to a new facility in Bethnal Green, which is set to open in summer next year.  The cash came from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council’s local infrastructure funds.

The project is aimed at expanding provision in a rapidly expanding London Borough, and will provide high quality accommodation for health services locally.  The fitted-out premises will provide 12 consulting rooms, 3 treatment rooms, 2 GP training rooms, a multi-purpose group room, interview and counselling rooms and staff accommodation. The additional consulting and treatment rooms will enable an expansion in primary care provision, whilst the group room will also serve as a resource for the local community for health promotion activities, accessible during evenings and at weekends. The planned investment also includes upgrades in digital technologies to facilitate more patient self-monitoring, allowing them to take more control of their care, whilst maintaining convenient access to a wider range of health services in the community.

Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group and landlord, NHS Property Services (NHSPS) have worked hand-in-glove to deliver this important project and have been innovative in designing and developing a patient-friendly space at the Health Centre, exploiting the centre’s view over Regent’s canal and nearby park to create a pleasant waiting room and working environment for patients and staff alike.

Senior Construction Manager at NHSPS, Angela Beart said: “We are delighted to work on such a significant project for the people of Bethnal Green.  This new facility will increase access to and the capacity of GP services across the area, and will provide more modern and fit-for-purpose surroundings to enable excellent patient care.”

Dr Ahmed Lawal, GP Partner at Globe Town Surgery said: “At Globe Town we are excited to be moving to this new purpose-built premises that will provide us with increased clinical and administrative space in an easy to access, attractive setting that will serve as the foundation for us to go on providing high-quality healthcare for local people."