Jonathan Shaw, Minister for the South East, today visited East Sussex (Tuesday 24th March 2009) to mark the start of building work on the eagerly awaited NHS Station Plaza Primary Care Centre, right in the heart of Hastings.
NHS Hastings and Rother are investing £16 million in the new facility, which is due to open in May 2010, to make it much easier for local people to access a range of primary care services, including GP care.
Together with the MP for Hastings and Rye, Michael Foster, Mr Shaw was given a tour of the Primary Care Centre construction site, which is next door to Hastings railway station.
The Minister did his bit by pouring concrete for one of the building’s columns
Jonathan Shaw said:
"The Station Plaza Primary Care Centre is a great example of offering local people as much choice and flexibility when it comes to looking after their health.
The new facility will improve access to a number of services, so making it much easier for people when they want to see their GP, or get other kinds of treatment such as physiotherapy.
It is a key part of the overall effort by NHS Hastings and Rother to enable people to live healthier and longer lives and I look forward to coming back when it is completed."
Charles Everett is Chair of NHS Hastings and Rother. He said:
"I am delighted that Jonathan Shaw was able to come and visit the site of our new facility.
It will make a big difference to the services we can offer local people, particularly those living in the wards with some of the lowest life expectancies in the country.
We are all looking forward to seeing Station Plaza Primary Care Centre open in May 2010"
The Station Plaza Primary Care Centre will offer:
• space for 10 GPs, with 5 existing practices moving into the new state of the art building from their current premises in central Hastings.
• a walk-in centre, staffed by two local GPs as well as practice nurses, open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, with the service available to anyone who wishes to use it, regardless of whether they live locally or are registered as a patient
• a Sexual Health Clinic which will move from its current home at Ore Clinic in Hastings to a more central location with excellent public transport links.
• a wide range of other services including, podiatry, physiotherapy, and mental health services for adults, children and young people.
