Hanley Health and Wellbeing Centre
“This new scheme required a whole new approach. The intelligent design and careful organisation meant the job was completed with very low stress levels and the result was absolutely fantastic. Our requirements – whilst perhaps a little demanding – were delivered beyond expectation.”
Michelle Urwin, Senior Project Manager, Premises Development Team, NHS Stoke on Trent
The £1.1 million refurbishment scheme was part of a Government cash injection to tackle deprivation and a shortage of GPs in the region.
The development has seen the transformation of two derelict Victorian buildings, formerly home to a high street bank and retail unit, into a one-stop health centre that provides walk-in services to the local community 365 days a year. Patients are also able to access a range of complementary services such as screening for chronic diseases and advice on healthy living and smoking cessation.
With time-limited government funding available, Prima 200 mobilised quickly and worked closely with NHS Stoke on Trent to build a strong business case for the scheme. Its support included service planning and undertaking a space utilisation review to ensure an efficient, value for money solution that would meet NHS Stoke on Trent’s clinical aims.
The project was completed within 10 months – from briefing to operation – demonstrating Prima 200’s ability to meet tight timeframes and challenging budgets to deliver much needed healthcare facilities. As the first centre of its kind in Stoke-on-Trent, its success was proved within just two months of opening, with 1,500 patients registering with the GP practice and even more using the services of the walk-in facility.
Delivering healthcare on the high street
The design brief was to transform a 100-year-old derelict building into a bustling, modern inner-city healthcare facility that would not only improve accessibility but encourage take-up of the walk-in facility and a range of health promotion services. Involving future tenants and users of the building throughout the development phase was key to ensuring a functional design that would engage members of the public. The internal layout provides greater flexibility to suit a wide range of health and social care services. Information zones have been incorporated into patient waiting areas and acoustic wall panels used to ensure an open plan layout could still be achieved without comprising patient privacy. Despite the structural challenges posed by the building’s Victorian architecture, the removal of an internal wall and the installation of additional glazing has opened up the building frontage, creating a modern ‘shop front’ exterior that is welcoming and blends effortlessly with the building’s city centre locality.RELATED ITEMS:
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Size: 997sqm -
Completed: December 2009 -
Partners: NHS Stoke on Trent