£5 million due to be approved for new health centre

 

* An artist's impression of the new health centre.

 

Health Minister Mark Drakeford is due announce tomorrow (Thursday) a £5m investment for a new primary care centre in Llangollen, which will provide health and social care services in the heart of the community.

 

The new centre will also be a base for voluntary services – bringing care closer to people’s homes – while also improving the training and the recruitment and retention of staff.  

Patients will have access to more services locally, including pain management, community-based heart failure services and diabetic retinopathy. Community mental health and social services teams will be based at the new centre.

 

More treatment sessions will also be able to take place at the centre as nurse practitioners and GP registrars will no longer need to share a room as they do currently.

 

It will be supported by an enhanced  care at home service which provides care for people who might otherwise need to go into hospital. The patient’s GP practice will decide, with the patient and their family, whether they can be safely cared for at home with extra help from nurses, therapists, social workers and voluntary organisations. Care will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 

        Professor Drakeford said: “The new primary care centre will provide an expanded and enhanced service for the people of Llangollen.  It will bring a number of services together in one place and will be a base for social services.

 

        “Importantly, it will also support the development of an enhanced care at home service, helping more people to be cared for at home and avoiding unnecessary admissions to hospital. 

 

        “This is an exciting development for Llangollen and will mean more services available on the community’s doorstep.  It will result in an enhanced local health service and I look forward to seeing the start of work on the centre.

 

        "This scheme, and investment by the Welsh Government, demonstrates our determination to deliver on the pledges made as part of the process of changing healthcare in North Wales."

 

Dr Peter Higson, chairman of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board,said: "We are delighted this important scheme has been given the green light. 

 

"Our plans for Llangollen will increase the range of services we can offer in the town, and provide a base for our teams who are delivering more and more care to patients in their own homes.  The extra space and improved facilities will enhance the experience of patients attending the new health centre and opens up new opportunities for colleagues from the health, social care and the voluntary sector to work together.”

 

The Welsh Government says work on the new centre is expected to begin in June this year with completion by June 2015. 

 

The centre will be on site of the former River Lodge hotel in the town. 

 

The additional services available at the centre will include pain management, community based heart failure, diabetic retinopathy, group physiotherapy, a range of outpatients clinics such as gastro, surgery and mental health, and children’s brain injury and speech therapy clinics.