Work is progressing well on the new Ripponden Health Centre.

The 6 GP Brig Royd Practice are looking forward to moving into their new premises when completed at the end of September. The 1,200m2 partly two storey building will include an on-site pharmacy and serve nearly 9,000 patients in Ripponden and the surrounding areas.

The photos above show the topping off ceremony which took place with Southdale, the construction partner, and the Practice GPs and staff inside the main feature of the new building, an octagonal double height central waiting room atrium.

The adjoining site is also being simultaneously developed by Pennine Housing 2000 to provide 18 residential dwellings.

A group of Doctors and healthcare professionals from the Department of Health, Shanghai Minhang District, visited the Apollo Centre for Health in Eastbourne as part of a two week programme organised by Dr Chulin Xia from CIC (UK) Ltd, in association with the University of Brighton and other healthcare institutions in Eastbourne.

The aim of the two week training programme was to give delegates an introduction to the NHS structure in the UK, health promotion and health and social care policy and the role of GPs, community nurses and the third sector (voluntary organisations, social enterprises, charities) in the UK health and social care sector.

Funded by Apollo, this £4.5 million Primary Care Centre, being built on land adjoining Algernon Firth Park, will help to drive forward the revival of Heckmondwike. To create the new centre, Apollo teamed up with Kirklees Council, NHS Kirklees and two local GP practices, appointing Halifax based Southdale Build Solutions to undertake the construction of the three-storey health care centre. This will provide a new home for the Brookroyd House and the Undercliffe Surgeries, together serving a combined patient list of around 20,000 people.

The photo above marks the official start of the new multi-million pound centre (Image courtesy of the Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Group) – L to R: Dr Jim Lee, Mike Potts, Chief Exec of NHS Kirklees, Dr Surajit Ghosh, Cllr David Sheard and Apollo''s Development Director (North) Richard Drew.

Cllr David Sheard, Kirklees Council Cabinet member for Regeneration (North) said:

"This is an important new step in the regeneration of Heckmondwike and will provide health services in a greatly improved setting which will be accessible for all."

The Primary Care Centre will house family doctors and other NHS staff offering patient services. There will also be a pharmacy on site and the building will have 55 car parking spaces.

Mike Potts, Chief Executive of NHS Kirklees said:

When completed next summer, this will be a great addition to the local area. The investment by NHS Kirklees will give the local community a fantastic new facility and provide both of the GP practices and District Nursing Services with a great new building from which to operate."

The 1,800 sqm building, due to be completed by the summer of 2010, will also have a number of energy-saving features demonstrating Apollo''s continuing commitment to environmental and economic sustainability.