Green light given for multimillion-pound health and care facility in Trowbridge
Work to construct a state-of-the-art health and care facility in Trowbridge is due to begin shortly after the multimillion-pound project was given the green light to proceed.
The £16 million Trowbridge Integrated Care Centre will be built on land close to Silver Street, and is intended to replace the existing community hospital located nearby, which many in the local area will know is reaching the end of its natural lifespan.
It is hoped that work on the new integrated care centre, which is being supported financially by the ICB, NHS Property Services and Wiltshire Council, will begin in the coming weeks, with the build expected to last for approximately 12 months.
Caroline Holmes, Interim Director of Place – Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board, said: “We are delighted to have the go-ahead for this new integrated care centre, which will bring real benefits to the people of Trowbridge and the surrounding areas.
“Having services based in the community, in locations such as this new state-of-the-art centre, will not only put care closer to patients’ homes, but also support different health and care teams to work closer together, which should result in a much smoother, more joined-up experience of the NHS for local people.
“We already know from our work in delivering the new Devizes Health Centre that buildings such as these make an enormous difference to the lives of local people, and we hope the residents of Trowbridge are just as excited as we are for this exciting addition to their community.”
Like its sister site in Devizes, Trowbridge Integrated Care Centre is set to employ the latest green technology, such as solar panels and heat pumps, in order to be fully self-sufficient and net zero carbon.
Services currently based at Trowbridge Community Hospital will be moved to the new facility in phases as part of a planned relocation process, which will begin once building work is complete.
Early estimates suggest that construction could be finished by the end of 2025, with the new centre then opening to patients sometime during the first half of the following year.
Wiltshire Council’s £3 million contribution to the scheme derives from the Wiltshire Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which local authorities can impose on new developments to help fund infrastructure and to support growth.
Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Public Health, said: “This is an excellent example of how the CIL can work for the good of local people.
“We are using the monies obtained from developments to invest directly in key services for our communities, and this will rejuvenate health facilities in the town and benefit Trowbridge residents for years to come.”
The announcement of the new Trowbridge Integrated Care Centre comes as the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care promises to transform the NHS to make it fit for the future.
Wes Streeting MP has recently unveiled plans to publish an updated 10-Year Health Plan, which will set out how projects such as the Trowbridge Integrated Care Centre, among countless others, will help to revolutionise the way in which health and care is delivered across the country.
People can lend their voices to the plan, as well as help in shaping the final version, which is expected in the spring of next year, by visiting www.change.nhs.uk.
Further details about the new Trowbridge Integrated Care Centre, along with information on all other local health and care services, can be found at www.bsw.icb.nhs.uk.