News

Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre, of which BBPI is a joint major shareholder, was officially opened by Lord Ara Darzi, the former health minister and Government advisor on health issues.

Based in North London, the building meets new space standards and facilitates a modernised pattern of service delivery for local people.

At the heart of the building is a two-storey, glazed public atrium space that provides a backdrop to the listed war memorial. The clinical services wrap around this atrium space thereby providing easy access for patients. These services include GP surgeries, nurse consulting, rehabilitation and treatment, dementia care, speech and language therapy, phlebotomy and family planning. In addition there is ample space to host GP and staff training, meetings and workshops. The centre will provide a useful base for district and school nurses, child protection teams and other health-related groups.

At the opening, on 25th September 2009, Lord Darzi said:
'"Three years ago together with other clinicians I set out a vision for the future of health care in London that would build a health system based around patients’ needs. Central to that vision was the idea that care would be provided in the most appropriate setting. For most that meant in their local community rather than in hospital with GPs, community and secondary providers working more closely together to provide a broader range of services, available times convenient to patients. That vision is now emerging as a reality in west Haringey central with Hornsey."

A unique feature of the health centre is the decision to encourage community groups to run ‘well-being’ services from the building as part of NHS Haringey’s commitment to forging stronger community ties. Community and voluntary groups will be based at the clinic offering advice, support and information on services including Citizens Advice Bureau and Age Concern.

Richard Sumray, Chair of NHS Haringey said:
"The new neighbourhood health centre will deliver on our commitment to Haringey residents of not just treating people but helping them to lead healthy lifestyles. An enormous amount of the NHS’s resources are rightly focused on treating ill health but the key is really preventing ill health in the first place. Neighbourhood health centres will help empower people to make healthier lifestyle choices."

There are more health centres planned for completion in the BBPI LIFT portfolio, Operations Director Tim Sharpe comments, "Hornsey demonstrates the growing confidence that the NHS has for LIFT schemes to deliver state of the art primary health care facilities."