State of the art medical centre at the heart of Winchester moves to next stage
Winchester City Council and Assura plc has exchanged contracts for a 150 year long leasehold for the Upper Brook Street GP Surgery car park site, ahead of the planned relocation of nearby St Clements Surgery.
Assura plc will now commence the work on delivering an all-new medical facility in the city centre and expect construction to start on site in 2022. The new site designs will be overhauled to better cater for the modern needs of primary care, including increased digital-uptake of services and pandemic resilience. Since February 2020 the council has worked with St Clements Surgery GP Practice and West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to deliver a building to meet the needs of local residents.
Planning permission for the scheme was granted in 2016 and minor amendments are now being planned to ensure the layout is future-proofed and adapted to ensure the latest advancements clinical care can be accommodated.
Assura plc and the CCG have also jointly-commissioned an in-depth multi-year study to assess the increased digital-first focus of GPs on patient outcomes, a testament to their commitment to the project and continued innovation.
On 13 October St Clements and Assura will be holding a public drop-in event at the Guildhall for those who wish to find out more on the project. Patients and local residents wishing to find out more should visit: www.stclementsmedicalbuild.co.uk.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Asset Management, Cllr Kelsie Learney, added:
“We’re delighted that the development of the Upper Brook St GP surgery has moved to the next stage. The new building will help provide better medical care in the heart of Winchester.”
GP Partner at St Clements Surgery, Dr Suzie Burns, said:
“We are extremely excited about our new development, our patients and staff deserve a modern practice, equipped to meet the needs of our city centre population. The new building will provide us with well-designed spaces for face to face consultations and better accessibility for those with disabilities, dementia, young children and extra needs.”
Clinical Director at North and Mid Hampshire CCG, Dr Charlotte Hutchings, said:
“This is a priority project and we are pleased to support it and benefit patients locally.”