Demolition on site heralds key milestone in development of new £16m health facility
28.01.2010
The vision of a £16m health and well-being centre in the heart of Hull is very quickly becoming a reality, with demolition work starting on the site this week to pull down a building that has stood there for 50 years.
Development work on Wilberforce Health Centre, in Story Street, will officially start when Jo Barnes, chief executive of Citycare, and Christopher Long, chief executive from NHS Hull, the primary care trust, will be handed a sledgehammer to start demolition work off on the derelict building that used to be the Grattan department store.
The new building will be the tenth to be developed by Citycare, which is the Public Private Partnership (PPP) delivering the NHS Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme in Hull, a national initiative designed to bring about a step change to primary care facilities.
Citycare - which represents a partnership between NHS Hull, Sewell Group, The UME Group and Community Health Partnerships - has already successfully delivered nine LIFT schemes across Hull with capital expenditure totaling £43m.
Construction work on Wilberforce Health Centre itself, which will be based in Story Street, part of the Albion Square Development Area, will start once the building has been demolished. The scheme is expected to be completed in late 2011.
The facility will house a walk-in GP service, which will be located within the building for both registered and non-registered patients, open between 8am and 8pm, 365 days a year. This service, run by NHS Hull, is currently active and already accepting patients on the Albion Street car park site.
150 GP-led surgeries of this nature are being rolled out across the country, following on from Professor Lord Ara Darzi's High Quality Care for All review of the NHS. The centres are intended to offer convenient GP access alongside other health services
People who use the centre will also be able to access other GPs, who will relocate from nearby surgeries, as well as dental, sexual health and addictions services coupled with access to Hull City Council services and a café. The centre will also be a base for paramedics.
The following city centre based services will relocate to the facility:
- The Quays - GP practice (currently based in Myton Street, city centre)
- The Quays - substance misuse service (currently based in Myton Street)
- Conifer House - sexual health services (currently based in Prospect Street, city centre)
- Cornerhouse - a sexual health drop-in for teenagers (currently based within Conifer House)
- Dr AW Hussain - GP practice (currently based in George Street and Anlaby Road, west Hull)
The start of development work on Wilberforce Health Centre comes on the back of Citycare completing work on £21m worth of the city Local
Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme in 2009 alone, with construction work on Kingswood Health Centre and Bilton Grange Health
Centre completed in October and The Orchard Centre opening in December of 2009.
Jo Barnes, chief executive of Citycare, said: "The start of demolition work at the Wilberforce Health Centre site heralds a real milestone in the LIFT programme, this is our tenth and largest scheme to date and it will impact on thousands of people living, working and visiting the city."
"People will really see things taking shape over the coming months, as the derelict building on the site is demolished to make way for a fantastic new facility which will further enhance Hull city centre's developing skyline.
"We are working closely with local businesses and residents to ensure the construction phase causes minimal disruption."
Christopher Long, chief executive of NHS Hull, said: "NHS Hull has invested heavily in improving services and facilities for patients over the past few years, and the Wilberforce Health Centre is a fine example of this. The central location and, in some cases, extended service opening hours, will mean that patients and the public are given more choice over when and where they seek medical help.
"As well as housing traditional health services such as dentist and GP surgeries, the centre will also house a number of drop-in services and community facilities which we hope will see it becoming a focal point for both residents and visitors alike.
"We're delighted to be involved in such a forward-thinking project and look forward to watching the new building take shape over the coming months."