01905 362120
01905 362120
NHS Birmingham East and North and partners BaS LIFT Co and Prime plc have successfully reached financial close on the major new £15 million Washwood Heath Health and Wellbeing Centre, which incorporates new funding to significantly increase GP provision in this under doctored area in east Birmingham.
The new three storey 3,920 sqm centre, designed by One Creative Environments Ltd, will bring together a wide range of services under one roof to meet the needs of a 15,000 strong patient population. Of that total 6,000 new patients will be served by additional GP services being provided by funding from the government’s Equitable Access to Primary Medical Care (EAPMC) programme, which aims to increase provision in under doctored areas. Located just off the Alum Rock Road, a main arterial route through Washwood Heath, the centre will also offer physiotherapy, pain management, orthopaedic triage, diagnostic and urgent care services to a broader patient population of 62,000 people based in the surrounding communities of Saltley and Hodge Hill.
NHS Birmingham East and North and their partners have consulted at length with the community and explored a wide range of needs, which has led to the inclusion of other community health and wellbeing services in the development. The new centre will include a community café and a welfare advice centre which will offer information on a range of topics from immigration to employment and housing. The centre will also be open extended hours and over seven days a week.
As well as contributing significantly to community wellbeing, the development will also incorporate a wide range of sustainable solutions, including a ground source heat pump and will also involve the remediation of contaminated land.
Jonathan Tringham, Director of Resources for NHS Birmingham East and North, said “I am delighted that we will soon be able to start construction on this excellent new facility, which will give the communities in and around Washwood Heath greatly expanded GP, wider health and wellbeing services”.
Ann Pursey, Chief Executive of BaS LIFT Co, said “It is excellent to have reached financial close on a project which has the potential to transform patient care in these communities. The additional GP services will greatly increase provision whilst the wider care services will bring so much under one roof to benefit so many.”
Richard Cutler, Development Director of Prime plc, added: “A great deal of effort and collaboration has gone into this project behind the scenes, to bring together so many new health and wellbeing service innovations. I think everyone is very proud of what has been achieved to date and we look forward to starting on site in the New Year.”