Crown Dale Medical Centre’s £3m refurbishment provides first class health services to local community

Crown Dale Medical Centre in London’s South East is celebrating one year of success, serving thousands of people in the locality with greater health outcomes following a £3 million refurbishment.  

The major overhaul was commissioned by the former Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) – now NHS South East London Integrated Care Board – after the previous site was deemed unfit-for-purpose. 

NHS Property Services (NHSPS) subsequently collated a business case seeking approval for the £3 million investment from the Estates and Technology Transformation Fund. Once funding was granted, NHSPS’ construction team designed and delivered the refurbishment scheme, which included extending the site to the side and adding an extra storey.  

One year on, and the upgrade has afforded extra capacity, unlocking an additional 300 appointments per week for the 17,000 registered patients. The centre also provides a wide range of primary care services including physiotherapy and dietetics, upholding the local Primary Care Network’s Additional Roles and Responsibilities (ARRs) and supporting the delivery of future workforce plans for primary care. 

The refurbishment has created a modern environment for patients and NHS staff alike, with an improved reception area and new fittings and fixtures addressing accessibility needs. This includes incorporating a new lift and mobility services, in addition to upgrading toilet and baby changing facilities to enhance patient comfort.  

A range of services were introduced post opening including diabetes health coaching, Indian head massages, a gardening club, a health and wellbeing coach and IT skills sessions. Age UK is also delivering a footcare service, whereas Food for Purpose are offering cooking classes. A warm living room safe space is available for community use, providing hot drinks, a book exchange, and a place for people to meet and socialise.  

With sustainability in mind, the planning and building process focused on sustainable methods and standards of construction – such as the installation of photovoltaic panels – which saw the building attain a BREEAM energy rating of ‘very good’.  

Belinda Cameron, Senior Capital Manager for NHSPS, said: “The new Crown Dale Medical Centre has enabled us to work with our customers across the locality putting them at the heart of plans to transform services, in line with local and national guidance, and help them provide patients with improved access to wider primary care.  

“We’ve worked closely with our stakeholders at NHSE/I, the former CCG and the practice, to secure investment and move this project forward, respond to the challenges presented to them by the pandemic and completing the programme quickly and efficiently.”  

Dr Nicoletta Scaravilli, GP Partner at North Wood Group Practice at Crown Dale, added: “We are delighted with our refurbished and expanded premises. The new surgery has had a really positive impact on patients and our team providing their care.”  

“It has also enabled us to begin providing broader services to our patient population, making the Practice more than just a GP Surgery, but a centre that is also focused on broader health and well-being. We used the space to host a Mental Health (health promotion) week in September. This was a really positive initiative for patients and staff alike.” 

Andrew Eyres, Corporate Director, Integrated Health and Care, NHS South East London ICB and Lambeth Council, said: “I couldn’t be more delighted to see Crown Dale operating from its newly refurbished premises. This refurbishment involved a huge amount of work across different partners through the period of the pandemic. 

“Bringing it to fruition was no small achievement. It means a wider range of services can now be offered from the Practice, allowing patients to benefit from a variety of skilled members of the primary care team, beyond GPs and practice nurses. This is part of our broader developments within primary care across Lambeth to best meet the needs of our local population.”