A groundbreaking event was attended by representatives from health, property, and construction partners, including Emily Curtis, director of Capital and Infrastructure at the Department of Health and Social Care.
The project is a refurbishment and extension of a locally listed building, transforming it into a modern 1,500 m2 health centre. Originally built in the 1920s, and used as a cottage hospital during the war, the building had been vacant since the late 2000s. It still retains historical elements such as the founder’s plaque and memorial beam, which will be prominently displayed in the new building. The project also includes rationalising the estate, enabling important value release from the disposal of surplus land, with 100% of the disposal proceeds ‘recycled ‘into the construction of the new health centre.
NHSPS, alongside NHS North West London, and new occupiers, have worked collaboratively for over five years to ensure the delivery of the project for Hillingdon.
Services offered will include district nursing, ambulatory wound care, health visiting, school nursing, a diabetes clinic, bladder and bowel care, a GP surgery, diabetic eye screening, mental health services, and talking therapies. There will also be three garden areas, cycle stores, staff showers, collaborative meeting spaces, EV charging stations, water-efficient flow restrictors, and new trees and planting.
Additionally, air-source heat pumps, LED lighting, and thermally efficient building fabric, will be used to improve the building’s energy performance.