New £16m Care Centre in Banbridge to open in 2015

The new £16m Health and Care Centre and Day Care facility in Banbridge is set to open as early as next autumn.
The new centre in BanbridgeThe new centre in Banbridge
The new centre in Banbridge

The premises will replace the Health Centre at Scarva Street, the Social Education Centre for adults with a learning disability and Copperfields which provides day care to adults with a physical disability.

Paula Clarke, Director of Performance and Reform at the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, said that they are looking forward to the opening.

“We’re delighted with progress at the new centre,” she said.

“It will complement existing services already provided on the Banbridge Health Village development and will bring together a range of services in a modern, accessible ‘one-stop shop’ environment.”

She continued: “The new Health and Care Centre will accommodate 220 staff. It will provide a range of community services including Allied Health Professional services, a rehabilitation suite, two dental surgeries, children and young people’s services, older people’s services, specialist nursing and a promoting well-being service.

“The Day Care facility will have two wings for 46 learning disability places and 20 physical disability places.

“I would like thank the staff and local residents for their patience during the work and the contractors are making every effort to keep potential disruption to a minimum.”

Back in January 2012 the then Health Minister Edwin Poots announced funding for the the Health and Care Centre and Day Care facility, to complete the Banbridge Health Village development.

The new Health and Care Centre and Day Care facility was estimated to cost then £15m and provide a floor area of 5,834m².

There will also be an extensive range of bookable clinical, meeting and interview rooms that will facilitate a range of Trust services alongside the community sectors.

The Banbridge Health Village began in 2005 on the site of the former Banbridge Hospital bought by Banbridge District Council with the intended future use to be dedicated to delivering health services.

The Health and Care Centre (also known as a Community Treatment and Care Centre) and Day Care Centre was approved in September 2011 but only funding of £1.1m for enabling works approved to Trust at that time.

The Health and Care Centre will also allow some existing services to be moved from the Polyclinic to provide more space to cope with the additional demand.

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