New health centre opens to patients
Patients have begun accessing a new purpose-built health centre which has opened in Burntwood this week.
Greenwood Health Centre, on Lichfield Road, has 12 consulting rooms, five treatment rooms, a healthcare/phlebotomy room, and a health education space in a single-story building.
Built on land provided by Staffordshire County Council and funded by NHS England’s Estates and Technology Transformation Fund, the £3.4 million development has been long-awaited by people in the town.
Julia Jessel, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Health and Care, said: “For many years the county council has held on to this site so it can be used to improve health provision in Burntwood and I am delighted to see the medical centre open.
“Part of the authority’s approach to improving the community’s health and wellbeing, particularly among older residents, is to have more people treated closer to home wherever possible and this first-class building allows us to do that.”
The new centre has replaced Darwin Medical Practice’s Hudson Drive base and stands around 300 metres from its predecessor, with 61 parking spaces on the site of the former nursing home.
It also includes space for an adjoining pharmacy. Agreement has been reached with an operator and it’s expected the successful tenant will be open for business shortly.
Lynn Millar, Director of Primary Care for the NHS Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Groups, said: “We‘re absolutely delighted that this fantastic new medical centre is now receiving its first patients.
“This really shows the way that we want primary care to develop, with more space to grow our primary care workforce and treat patients here in Burntwood.
“It’s not just GPs that patients could book appointments with: there is provision for other allied health professionals such as advanced nurse practitioners, physiotherapists, and mental health therapists.”
Dr Gerbo Huisman (crt), GP partner at Darwin Medical Practice, said: “I am delighted that years of collaborative working and planning between skilled and dedicated professionals from local health authorities, the county council and The Darwin Medical Practice have now come to fruition.
“Our patients, as well as the wider community, are now getting what they have wanted for so long; a modern, spacious and comfortable health centre from which we, their GP practice, will be delivering high quality, responsive and patient centred primary care services.”
The centre was built by Midlands builder GF Tomlinson, which has also been involved in the £3.7m renovation of King Edward VI Primary School in Lichfield, and the £5m build of Anker Valley Primary School in Tamworth.
