9:30am Wednesday 10th March 2010
By Brian Gomm
HEALTH Secretary Andy Burnham declared the dawn of a new era for health services in Leigh on Friday when he unveiled the foundation stone for the new Leigh Health Centre.
It is due to open in early autumn and is expected to be the first phase of a wider development of the Leigh Infirmary site involving the Primary Care Trust, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust, Wigan Metropolitan Borough’s Adult Services and 5 Boroughs Specialist NHS Trust.
The scheme will represent an £11m investment in state-of-the-art facilities for primary care and community services, and key elements include: replacing the existing Grasmere Street and College Street health centres, Walk-in centre, physiotherapy department and other services currently delivered at Leigh Infirmary.
The centre will include a dental suite, integrated children’s centre, specialist weight management service and adult sexual health services.
Mr Burnham said: "Leigh Infirmary was built by voluntary contributions from Leigh people over 100 years ago in the days before the NHS. That is why it so important to local people and why I have been determined to update it for a new era.
"The new health centre is another big step forward in improving Leigh's NHS. It will provide a new home for our excellent Walk-In Centre and its dedicated staff who serve us so well. It will also have a new community pharmacy which will particularly help people living on this side of Leigh. And it will provide modern facilities for local GPs, including those currently operating out of Grasmere Street, who have provided such outstanding service to the people of Leigh.
"I would like to thank our PCT for making this investment in Leigh. It will sit alongside new primary care facilities at Atherton, Golborne and on the other side of Leigh which represents a brand new infrastructure for our local NHS.
"It is just a start in rebuilding our Infirmary and I look forward to working to renew the rest of the hospital with the acute and mental health trusts." PCT Chairman, Alan Stephenson, pictured here alongside Mr Burnham, said: “work is progressing well on site to provide these much needed modern facilities. Anyone who has used the LIFT buildings in other parts of the Borough will know just how good they are and the wide range of services that can be offered to local people from them.”
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