Worthing health hub: work to start on £34m project

The Worthing Integrated Care Centre (WICC) will be a one-stop shop for a range of health and care needs.

Sited on the car park at the rear of Worthing Town Hall, it will replace the current Central Clinic building and will combine doctors, mental health specialists, outpatients, health visitors, chemists and services for families and children.

Sean McDonald, Worthing Borough Council’s executive member for health and wellbeing, said: “I am proud that the council is laying the foundation for this innovative project, putting money up front to fund a state-of-the-art building that will give medical services excellent facilities to deliver first-class healthcare for residents.

“Bringing community health services together under one roof improves efficiency and outcomes for users and allows professionals to learn from each other to the benefit of those users.

“It is fantastic news that work is about to get under way.”

A new multi-storey car park for 186 cars will also be built, next to the new centre.

The building project for the health centre and car park is to be funded by Worthing Borough Council through the borrowing of £34million, which the council says will to be recouped through rent and income.

On Monday, October 25, the car park will close to allow contractors Galliford Try access to the site to begin preparatory work.

A council spokesman said: “The company, one of the UK’s leading building contractors was chosen by the Council after a competitive tendering process.

“Work is expected to take up to two years and the council, working with NHS partners, expects the centre to provide a range of integrated community health care services rather than the present situation where such help is scattered across the borough.”