Builth Wells hospital replaced by £5m health centre

Similar centres bringing public services together could be built across Powys

A groundbreaking £5m centre bringing together health board and council services has opened in a Powys town, replacing a small community hospital.

Glan Irfon in Builth Wells is home to 12 beds, a dentist and council social services, and is near an existing GPs' surgery and a residential home.

The project is seen as a pilot that could be rolled out across the largely rural county.

The town's hospital, built in 1897, is expected to be sold off.

Services are in the process of being transferred from the hospital to Glan Irfon. In-patient services, which temporarily switched to Llandrindod Wells earlier this year, will move back to Builth Wells later in the autumn.

The Welsh government provided £5.25m funding for the project.

'Shining example'

Opening the new centre, First Minister Carwyn Jones praised Powys Teaching Health Board and Powys council for joining forces.

He said: "The new centre will enable people to receive care in the community close to their homes and is a shining example of linked up health and social services - key commitments of Together for Health, our vision for the NHS in Wales.

"I'm very pleased to have been able to open this state-of-the-art facility, which will have huge benefits for patients and will prove to be an invaluable resource for the community."

Powys council leader David Jones said progress on the project had been "wonderful" and the work had been delivered on time and within budget.