The development of a new primary and community care centre in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, will create a benchmark for joined-up care across the country.
This week it was announced that developer, Kajima Partnerships, had been awarded the contract to develop the facility, working as part of a consortium alongside GPI and O’Hare & McGovern.
Commissioned by The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, the group will build and manage the £40m project.
And Graham Asset Management will undertake the facilities management requirements for the new facility over the contract term.
Situated on the Lagan Valley Hospital site, the 12,792sq m medical centre will be jointly funded by GPG O’Hare and Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale and will bring eight GP practices and other health services, including diagnostics and outpatient clinics, together under one roof.
By integrating primary and community care services, it will encourage multi-disciplinary, community-centred care, representing a transformation in the way that healthcare is delivered in line with the Department of Health’s vision as set out in the Health and Wellbeing 2026 - Delivering Together strategy.
Hugh McCaughey, chief executive of the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, said: “We are confident that this new development will transform how care is provided.
“By moving services from an acute hospital base to a community-centred setting, with greater integration, we hope to ultimately achieve better outcomes for our patients.”
Construction is expected to start in April, with the building becoming fully operational in 2021.