A traditional topping-out ceremony has been held to celebrate the structural completion of a new health centre in Dulwich.
The Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Catherine Rose; and Dulwich and West Norwood MP, Helen Hayes, joined the clinical commissioning group’s (CCG) director of finance, Malcolm Hines, to mark the significant stage in the health centre’s development.
Malcolm Twite, chief commercial officer for Community Health Partnerships, said of the scheme: “Achieving this construction milestone is great news, especially for patients and staff.
“We are a significant step closer in delivering a fantastic environment for staff to provide excellent clinical services, and patients will benefit from state-of-the art facilities for treatment.”
Hines added: “The new health centre will improve access to GP and community care by delivering a range of health and wellbeing services all under one roof.
We are a significant step closer in delivering a fantastic environment for staff to provide excellent clinical services, and patients will benefit from state-of-the art facilities for treatment
“This is the future of healthcare in Southwark: community partners working closely together to ensure services are more joined-up, personalised, and responsive to the needs of patients.”
The project is part of the CCG’s work to improve GP and community-based health services in Dulwich and south Southwark.
On schedule to open in stages from April 2020, the new health centre will house a range of healthcare and community services, including a GP surgery, children’s and mental health services, X-rays, kidney dialysis, physiotherapy. and some hospital outpatient clinics.
It has also been designed so that it can also accommodate non-clinical community services, such as exercise classes, education sessions and space for voluntary-sector activities.
This is the future of healthcare in Southwark: community partners working closely together to ensure services are more joined-up, personalised, and responsive to the needs of patients
With the structural work now completed, the development team is working with local people to design the building’s interior, and is liaising with NHS and community partners to finalise the services that will occupy the health centre.
The design, build, funding and operation of the new health centre is through the NHS LIFT programme – a public private partnership (PPP) led by Community Health Partnerships (CHP) and working in collaboration with Southwark Clinical Commissioning Group, and the local LIFT partner, South London Health Partnership (SLHP).
The centre was designed by Murphy Philipps Architects and is being constructed by Willmott Dixon.