Thousands to benefit from £8m health hub

SEWELL TEAM: From left, design coordinator Katie Robertson, document controller Mel Hutchinson, management trainee Jack Donkin, project manager Dave Major, site manager Rob Page and senior quantity surveyor Peter Martin. Picture by R&R Studios

Construction work is underway on a major health hub to provide new, state-of-the-art facilities for thousands of patients in west Hull.

The £8m West Hull Health Hub, in Calvert Lane, will become part of Modality Partnership Hull’s Primary Care Network in the city and the East Riding, which has a combined total of more than 60,000 patients across the sub-region.

Sewell Construction is now on site, building the new two-storey hub that will replace the dated Springhead Medical Centre, in Willerby Road.

Dr Elizabeth Dobson, an executive partner at Modality Partnership Hull, is currently based at Springhead Medical Centre, a large and well-established family GP and teaching practice which is rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of all health and social care services in England.

Dr Dobson said: “Safe and effective primary care facilities have never been more essential in order to keep our patients and our staff safe. The past eight months have highlighted the constraints of our existing property.

“Breaking ground on West Hull Health Hub is an important milestone for the practice and we are one step closer to a purpose-built health centre for our patients.

“The team supporting our patients continues to expand, allowing us to provide holistic, proactive and preventative services to patients and take the time to address all aspects of health and wellbeing.

“As primary care transforms to meet the needs of patients, we are building relationships with community services and charities that will enhance the care and support offered to our patients.

“In a challenging year, the knowledge that Sewell Construction is progressing with building West Hull Health Hub is positive and reassuring, knowing it is not long before both our staff and our patients will benefit from care being provided in a safe, spacious working environment.”

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West Hull Health Hub will include 32 clinical rooms, including GP and nurse consulting rooms, treatment rooms, clinical support spaces and office accommodation, as well as a reception and waiting area, a wheelchair accessible lift, baby changing area and buggy parking, a pharmacy and adjacent car park.

Erica Daley, interim chief operating officer for NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which is responsible for commissioning primary care services across the city, said: “We are obviously delighted to see construction starting.

“The new West Hull Health Hub is a very welcome and positive development for the city and, in particular, for the patients at Springhead Medical Centre.

“We look forward to seeing the new building take shape over the coming months.”

Sewell Construction has been appointed by health estates company Citycare to build the West Hull Health Hub. It will be the 14th health centre the company has delivered in partnership with Citycare in Hull to date.

The project is expected to be completed in November 2021.

Dave Major, project manager at Sewell Construction, said: “It’s been an extremely tough year for everyone, particularly health service providers who have worked tirelessly to support our local communities, so we hope that starting on site is a welcomed, positive sign of better things to come in 2021. The practice and its patients deserve a world class facility.

“We’re proud to be continuing our great working relationship with Citycare, to build on their existing portfolio of health facilities across the city.

“We’ll be keen to engage with local residents once we’re able to, hosting various engagement activities both on and off site.”

A Facebook group has been created for members of the public to follow the development of the health hub and will include regular updates from the site, frequently asked questions and more as work progresses.

To join, click here.