Building works started last month on the extension and refurbishment of Robin Lane Health and Wellbeing Centre in Pudsey, West Yorkshire.
Once complete in Autumn 2017, the 167sq m ground-floor extension will provide an additional seven clinical rooms to support the growing practice’s patient list.
Alongside the new extension and facilities, the refurbishment will upgrade seven existing clinical rooms, reconfigure the treatment suite to include a minor operations suite, and provide an enhanced reception and waiting area.
Over the last five years Robin Lane Health and Wellbeing Centre has seen patient numbers grow from 8,500 to over 13,500, and this popular centre receives many new registrations every day.
With a vision to provide more urgent care in the community, as well as building on a philosophy of proactive personal care planning, the building project will enable the GP practice and wellbeing centre to deliver on their strategic plan.
The 20-year-old health centre, acquired by the MedicX Fund in 2012 and managed by Octopus Healthcare, is already a great example of an innovative approach to delivering more healthcare services in the local community.
The building improvements will help support the growing patient list, scaling services to offer better patient access and very much echoes the direction of NHS England and the Five Year Forward View strategy.
In fact, Robin Lane Health and Wellbeing Centre is one of just five GP practices specifically mentioned in the GP Five Year Forward plan. It is very much more than a GP practice, it is a centre for pro-actively promoting health and wellbeing in the local community, and has recently been awarded ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission.
The centre’s four-year plan is focused on bringing healthcare services closer to home for patients. New facilities, such as the minor operations suite, will help this primary care partnership achieve these goals.
James Young, head of property and asset management at Octopus Healthcare, said: “Robin Lane Health and Wellbeing Centre is a fantastic example of a GP practice that is striving to change patient outcomes in the local community.
“It has been our great pleasure to support this primary care partnership team to ensure that they can grow the practice and enhance the range of services available to their patients.
“Anyone who wants to know what outstanding community healthcare provision should look like, only has to look at Robin Lane Health and Wellbeing Centre to see it in action.”
Mev Forbes, managing partner at Robin Lane Health and Wellbeing Centre, added:“Our vision has always been to offer the highest-quality primary health care to our patients here in Pudsey, and to enable them to live longer and healthier lives.
“We know that this can only be achieved by taking a pro-active approach to healthcare services in the local community, focused on preventative solutions as well as treatments.
“With the support of Octopus Healthcare, and the redevelopment project, we will be able to make a real difference to patient outcomes and the health of our community.”