Eastwood Health & Care Centre Opens to the Public
As founding joint venture partner in Wellspring (the private sector development partner of hub); Apollo is supporting hub West Scotland (hWS), with specialist input to primary healthcare premises; with Eastwood Health & Care Centre being one of these supported projects.
The 6,015m2 Health & Care Centre opened its doors to the public on 8th August 2016. The new Centre offers the Eastwood community access to a wide range of health and social care services, now under the one roof for the first time. As part of the Scottish public/private hub programme, through the hub West Scotland territory; it was jointly delivered along with the Maryhill Health & Care Centre, as a single bundle of c. £27m. These two Projects along with the East Pollokshields Centre, ‘The Shields Centre’ completed in January 2015; are the beginning of an NHSGGC Health & Social Care strategy to serve the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde community, which includes the former area of NHS Argyle & Clyde. These projects underpin NHS Scotland’s ‘Once for Scotland’ approach to shared Health and Social Care Services.
The £14.9m centre is located at Drumby Crescent, on a brown-field site of the former Isobel Mair special needs School, which had relocated to a purpose made facility in Newton Mearns. The school and its sports grounds has facilitated generous space to promote natural light and ventilation; linking with lush landscaped courtyards, grounds and car parking; creating a building in a ‘Park’ setting. Notwithstanding facilities for cycling and close proximity to bus and train routes. This is now home to five GP Practices; Community Health and Care Services, including various clinics; East Renfrewshire Council Offices; and a Third Sector Café.
The Centre was officially opened on 26th October 2016 by the Minister for Public Health and Sport, Aileen Campbell; who had recently officiated the ‘Sod Cut’ at Orchard View on 11th October 2016. The Minister stated, “what we see now: a wonderful, state-of-the art new facility that is already proving to be such an asset to the local community. Not only will the building provide first-rate healthcare facilities, but it will also house many social care services and provide space for voluntary groups of all kinds.”
The Chief Officer of East Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), Julie Murray, likewise noted that, “this provides the people of East Renfrewshire with fantastic modern facilities, fit for the future delivery of integrated health and care services.” While the NHSGGC Chairman, John Brown further endorsed these comments.
The positive welcome for the Health & Social Care ‘Reference Design’ continued with success in attaining architectural Awards at the Scottish Health and Social Care Conference on 3rd November 2016. Firstly, the Design Excellence Award followed by the Paul Taylor Award, in recognition of the best overall submission; a credit to NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and East Renfrewshire Council Representatives, and a credit to the professional team who delivered the Project.
Hopefully the delight shown to date is a sign of good things to come for the Project, bringing a public service closer to its community; not only through its primary function, but also through its Third Sector Café, which runs as an employability project; and through is various spaces made available to voluntary groups.
As a specialist in the development of primary healthcare premises in the UK; Apollo has provided Post Contract resource to support the simultaneous construction of Eastwood and Maryhill Health & Care Centres.
