New £16m health centre given go ahead

The building work - on land close to Silver Street - is expected to last 12 months and be finished at the end of 2025

A new £16m health and care facility which will replace an existing community hospital has been given the go-ahead.

It is hoped construction on the integrated care centre in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, will start soon as the current hospital is reaching the end of its lifespan.

It will allow teams to work closer together and put care closer to people's homes.

The work - on land close to Silver Street - is expected to take 12 months and be finished at the end of 2025, with services at the current hospital being transferred over in phases.

The new centre will replace the community hospital in Trowbridge

Funding has come from the local integrated care board (ICB), NHS Property Services and Wiltshire Council.

Caroline Holmes, from Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board said: “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."

The ICB has built a similar site - the Devizes Health Centre - which Ms Holmes said makes "an enormous difference to the lives of local people".

The ICB has already done a similar project with the Devizes Health Centre

Wiltshire Council has made a £3 million contribution to the scheme from the Wiltshire Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which local authorities request from new developments to help fund other projects.

Councillor Ian Blair-Pilling, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for public health said: “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.”

It will also have green credentials as it is set to use solar panels and heat pumps to be self-sufficient and net zero carbon.