THE new Swindon NHS Health Centre was officially opened on Friday by mayor Maureen Penny.

The £10m facility first opened its doors to patients in June and includes a pharmacy, two GP practices (the Whalebridge Practice and Carfax NHS Medical Centre), the walk-in centre, dental and podiatry, and other NHS services.

It was delivered by NHS Property Services on behalf of NHS England, NHS Swindon CCG, Public Health Swindon and Swindon Borough Council.

Coun Penny unveiled a commemorative plaque and officially declared the new Health Centre open at a ceremony attended by project partners.

James Wakeham, Principal Construction Manager for NHS Property Services in the South West, said: “We’re proud to have delivered this health centre as part of our work to ensure the NHS operates from modern, fit-for-purpose buildings.

“By taking a 20-year lease we are ensuring healthcare commissioners can provide services to meet the changing needs of patients and the NHS for many years to come.

“It is making a real difference to patient care in Swindon and we’d like to thank our NHS and developer partners for their hard work in creating this excellent facility.”

The state-of-the-art Health Centre, which opened its doors to patients in June, replaces the Carfax Medical Centre and serves a local population of 22,000 registered and 36,000 unregistered patients.

Coun Garry Perkins, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “The new Health Centre is a key part of the first phase of the Kimmerfields regeneration scheme and it is fantastic to see it up and running. We will now move ahead with the demolition of the old building in Carfax Street which will unlock a key parcel of land as we look to progress with the next phases.”

As well as the official unveiling, project partners and other interested parties including South Swindon MP Robert Buckland also had the chance to have a guided tour of the new facility.

Nicki Millin, Accountable Officer for NHS Swindon CCG added: “We are delighted to have this excellent facility in the heart of our town centre, providing high quality services to the local community which patients and staff are already very much enjoying.

“Even in these challenging financial times, investment in health care services remains a priority to ensure patients can access services as close to home as possible.”

For more information about the services on offer, visit www.swindonccg.nhs.uk.