Construction of new £9.5m health centre starts in Wallsend

Work has commenced on a new £9.5million health centre to help support the delivery of locally integrated healthcare services.Hadrian Health Centre is another step toward improving health and community services for those that live in the Wallsend and surrounding areas.The new centre, which will become the new home for Park Road Medical Practice and Portugal Place Health Centre as well as a range of community health services for more than 20,000 patients, is set to transform healthcare services in the area when in opens in Summer 2022.Located next to the Forum Shopping Centre, the new building is being built to modern, environmentally friendly, state-of-the-art specifications.It will include both consulting and treatment rooms, light and airy spaces for patients and dedicated training areas as well as offering convenient links to public transport.The two practices will be able to share resources and work more flexibly, offering extended opening times to patients, whilst more doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals will be able to receive training within the building.Community services operated by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust which currently operate from within Wallsend Health Centre, will also move into the new health centre. These include: district nursing, mental health concern, talking therapies, neuro rehabilitation/physio, podiatry, speech and language therapy and office administration.It is anticipated the new building will take 15 months to complete and is being funded by Assura, the national primary care premises specialist who will also work as the practices’ long-term premises partner.