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Partnership Announced to Build New Dartmouth Health and Wellbeing Centre
This press release is EMBARGOED until Saturday 23rd June 2018
South Hams District Council is working in partnership with Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust and stakeholder organisations on a proposed new site for the Health and Wellbeing Centre in Dartmouth.
The Council, who are very keen to invest in the town and support the provision for local jobs, is in discussions around the new centre. Plans on the table, are an offer by the District Council to provide a parcel of land and to construct a purpose-built Health and Wellbeing Centre to the NHS Trust’s specification.
It is intended that the new building would include the GP practice, a pharmacy, services that are currently being provided from the Dartmouth Clinic site and a base for voluntary sector organisations. The Trust is committed to working with the medical practice and stakeholders on delivering these services following the breakdown of the Riverview option, after the closure of the Hospital site in 2017.
The new centre, which could be located on part of the overflow Park and Ride car park, would be leased on a 25+ year basis. By acting together, the funding of the construction costs can be kept as low as possible as the District Council has access to very competitive borrowing. Once proposals are decided, and agreed by the Trust Board, GP’s and key stakeholders, a report will go to the Council’s Executive and Full Council meetings for agreement.
Leader of South Hams District Council, Cllr John Tucker, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust in the development of a Health and Wellbeing Centre in Dartmouth.
“The proposed new health centre will have huge community value to Dartmouth residents, which is why we wanted to get involved to make this project a reality. We’ve offered to provide a site to the NHS and to build a purpose-built centre which will offer a range of medical services.
“We are, as the District Council, delighted to be able to help our partners with this important delivery of health and wellbeing within the South Hams.”
Liz Davenport Interim Chief Executive Officer, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with South Hams Council on the development of the Health and Wellbeing Centre. The site identified will allow us to be able to co‐locate the community services for local people that are currently provided at the Dartmouth Clinic with primary care. This will mean that local people will be able to receive their care in a modern, purpose built centre in Dartmouth.
“We know that people in Dartmouth will be pleased to hear a site has been identified and we will now be working closely with South Hams District Council and the community to ensure that we are able to progress this as soon as possible.”
ENDS