Kirkley Mill Health Centre
A new £6m centre which is making a wide range of health services easier to access by bringing them under one roof has officially opened.
Kirkley Mill Health Centre, which has been built on Clifton Rd, Lowestoft, was opened by Andrew McMeekin, president of the Kirkley Business Association, and Cllr Roger Bellham, mayor of Lowestoft during a ribbon-cutting ceremony today (15 October).
It has been commissioned by HealthEast, the clinical commissioning group for Great Yarmouth and Waveney, so that patients can benefit from convenient, easily accessible healthcare delivered from modern, fit-for-purpose surroundings.
A variety of services provided by East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH), including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry and speech and language therapy, are already available at the centre. The new building is also providing a base for Lowestoft’s successful out of hospital team, which includes health and social care staff from Suffolk County Council, and is helping to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions by delivering care to patients within their own homes.
The London Road South Surgery (now known as Kirkley Mill Surgery) is already operating from a temporary building at the site. Together with Marine Parade Surgery, it will move into the permanent building later this year.
HealthEast chairman Dr John Stammers, who welcomed guests to the event while Kirkley Community Choir gave a performance, said: “We are delighted that this wonderful facility for our local community has now officially opened.
“The new centre gives patients the chance to access services from modern, attractive premises. It ties in with our overall vision to deliver out of hospital care wherever possible, along with seamless services which are closer to people’s homes.
“Bringing together a wide range of services under one roof means that health and social care professionals will be able to work more closely together, in turn helping deliver even better care for our patients.”
During the opening, Cllr Mark Bee, leader of Suffolk County Council, and Robin Williams, chairman of NHS Property Services, which managed the construction project, also gave short speeches.
Mr McMeekin said: “This fantastic new facility has not only improved healthcare services for people living in Lowestoft, but has also played an important role in regenerating the Kirkley area.
“It means that more people will now be visiting the area, which is great news for local businesses.”
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