The largest primary healthcare centre in Britain will become fully operational in summer 2008.
When it opens after a three-month commissioning period, the £30m Aldershot Centre for Health will cater for around 2,700 patients a day. It will house 400 staff providing primary health care for a local population of 45,000, as well as specialist services to 250,000 people in the wider area. Uniquely, the facilities will be shared by the 5,000-strong Army garrison.
At 138,500 sq ft/12,866 m², the building is many times bigger than a conventional health centre. It will have 770 rooms for nearly 30 separate user groups. This concept provides economies of scale and meets objectives set out in the NHS Plan. It is also in accord with the proposals for large scale polyclinics set out by Professor Lord Darzi, Minister for Patient Care at the Department of Health. It does, however, cleave to the traditional concept of patients seeing their own family GPs. Developer The Wilky Group created a special funding package for Hampshire PCT, itself the largest PCT in Britain, and the Ministry of Defence. The PCT and MoD will own the Centre outright when the 30-year lease expires.
The Centre, built by Carillion, will house three GP surgeries, diagnostics, dental services, a pharmacy, district nursing, health visiting, children's services, paediatric, podiatry, counselling, drug & alcohol advice, offices and a training suite. Local outpatient facilities for the nearby Frimley Park Hospital and mental health facilities for the Surrey Hampshire Borders NHS Foundation Trust will also be provided.
The MoD may share some NHS facilities as well as having a medical reception station for non-acute, recovering personnel and a multi-doctor primary health care practice of its own. As well as providing 21st Century healthcare for today’s local population, the scheme is a key element in the town’s planned regeneration, which will include 4,500 new homes.
"As well as providing 21st Century healthcare for today’s local population, the scheme is a key element in the town’s planned regeneration, which will include 4,500 new homes."
Wilky hopes it will act as a template for other large-scale multi-purpose “one stop” primary health centres around the country. The scheme includes a 20-bed recovery ward for the Army, and this concept of combining step-down beds with primary health facilities may also point the way ahead for some community hospital schemes.”
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