Work starts on site at new Eastville Health Centre

The first sod has been cut at the new £4m Eastville Health Centre in Bristol, which is being built by Rydon.

Dr Jeff Parrott from the Eastville Medical Practice joined other GPs, staff and those involved in the project in a celebration to mark the start of work on site in East Park.

The state-of-the-art medical centre has been designed by architects at GVA Health with GVA appointed as project manager.

Paul Barber, South West Regional Director for Rydon, said:

“We are pleased to celebrate the start of a new modern and convenient health centre for Eastville. Rydon brings an extensive track record of construction and logistics planning in live healthcare environments and we will ensure our work brings minimal disruption to the existing facility as work progresses.”

The three-storey, 1,800 sq m building will have an increased number of consulting and treatments rooms, as well as new facilities such as a minor operation suite, a midwifery centre and facilities for a speech therapist, as well as an on-site pharmacy. With new pedestrian access, and 80 car-parking spaces, the new centre will replace the existing 1980s-built surgery.

The two practices are developing their new centre on land where the former Eastville Day Care Centre once stood. The land has been sold to the GPs by NHS Property Services Limited, the property company formed in 2013 to handle the NHS property estate.

Angela Toumi, Practice Manager for the Eastville Medical Practice says: “Our two practices have totally outgrown our existing premises both in terms of size and quality of facilities. We are committed to retain and expand our services to our patients, and since we service an area of Bristol where there is strong population growth, our proposed new centre importantly has room for expansion.”

Steve Hartnell, Practice Manager for the Maytrees Practice, adds: “We are all extremely optimistic about the future. The area needs modern facilities and patients of both practices are in full support of our plans, and are looking forward to our brand new facilities.”

Completion of the centre is expected in late 2015.

Specialists in the primary care property market GVA Health in Bristol has been supporting the practices on the funding and the procurement process.

Frank Convery, Director at GVA Health, comments: “This is a time of far reaching reform for NHS primary care. These new facilities will enable both practices to provide a modern and efficient service to their patients for many years to come.”

Mrs Hazel Durn, a patient of the Eastville Medical Practice who celebrated her 79^th birthday this week and has lived in the area all her life, says, “We are all delighted to have this new clinic and would like to thank the staff over many years who have given us all such good care. As residents we feel that Eastville is often overlooked as an area, so it will be lovely to have this new facility.”

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