Published date: 01 October 2017
£10m NHS health centre officially opened
The new Swindon NHS Health Centre has been officially opened by the Mayor of the town, Councillor Maureen Penny. The £10m facility first opened its doors to patients in June 2017 and includes a pharmacy, two GP practices (the Whalebridge Practice and Carfax NHS Medical Centre), a walk-in centre, dental and podiatry, and other NHS services. mainly delivered by Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It was delivered by NHS…
The new Swindon NHS Health Centre has been officially opened by the Mayor of the town, Councillor Maureen Penny.
The £10m facility first opened its doors to patients in June 2017 and includes a pharmacy, two GP practices (the Whalebridge Practice and Carfax NHS Medical Centre), a walk-in centre, dental and podiatry, and other NHS services. mainly delivered by Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
It was delivered by NHS Property Services on behalf of NHS England, NHS Swindon CCG, Public Health Swindon and Swindon Borough Council.
On Friday, 29 September, Cllr Penny, The Mayor of Swindon, unveiled a commemorative plaque and officially declared the new Health Centre open at a ceremony attended by project partners.
The state-of-the-art health centre, which opened its doors to patients in June, replaces the old Swindon Health Centre, located nearby, and serves a local population of 22,000 registered and 36,000 unregistered patients.
Mayor of Swindon Maureen Penny with NHS Property Services representatives, from left, Principal Property Manager Andrew Windsor, Senior Property Manager Colin Stribling, Project Manager Bev Letherby, of Archus, and Principal Construction Manager James Wakeham
James Wakeham, Principal Construction Manager for NHS Property Services in the South West, said: “We’re proud to have delivered this health centre as part of our work to ensure the NHS operates from modern, fit-for-purpose buildings.
“By taking a 20-year lease we are ensuring healthcare commissioners can provide services to meet the changing needs of patients and the NHS for many years to come.
“It is making a real difference to patient care in Swindon and we’d like to thank our NHS and developer partners for their hard work in creating this excellent facility.”
Councillor Garry Perkins, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “The new Health Centre is a key part of the first phase of the Kimmerfields regeneration scheme and it is fantastic to see it up and running. We will now move ahead with the demolition of the old building in Carfax Street which will unlock a key parcel of land as we look to progress with the next phases.”
Nicki Millin, Accountable Officer for NHS Swindon CCG said: “We are delighted to have this excellent facility in the heart of our town centre, providing high quality services to the local community which patients and staff are already very much enjoying.
“Even in these challenging financial times, investment in health care services remains a priority to ensure patients can access services as close to home as possible.”
