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Building will begin on the Worthing Integrated Care Centre (WICC) on Friday, February 11, marked by a ceremony attend by Worthing West MP Sir Peter Bottomley and East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton, as well as dignitaries from the council and NHS partners.

Preparatory work for the health hub began back in October last year.

The WICC is funded by Worthing Borough Council and is situated in the heart of the town and will provide GP, mental health, community and dentistry services under one roof, as well as providing a pharmacy and additional services for families and young children.

The official ceremony to mark the start of construction of Worthing’s new £34 million healthcare and multi-storey car parking facilities is set to take place on Friday 11 February. Photo: Eddie Mitchell

The centre will see Coastal West Sussex CCG, Worthing Medical Group, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust services integrated into one NHS healthcare facility.

Councillor Kevin Jenkins, leader of Worthing Borough Council, said: “We are absolutely delighted to mark the beginning of construction for this wonderful project. This ground-breaking ceremony is a huge watershed moment for the whole town.

“This care facility will be one of the best in the country when completed. It will also be the culmination of so much hard work from the council, working in conjunction with NHS partners.

“It will provide first-class healthcare on one specialised site, making it easier to access and in the long-term while also saving taxpayers money without ever compromising on quality. It will be something Worthing can be extremely proud of.”

Worthing’s landmark new £34 million healthcare and multi-storey car parking facilities is to be built on the brownfield site of the Worthing Town Hall car park. Photo: Eddie Mitchell

Mike Jennings, chief financial officer and deputy chief executive at Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, added: “We are really proud to be a partner in this exciting project, which will provide modern and accessible healthcare services to the people of Worthing and the surrounding area.

“Bringing NHS services together under one roof will make it easier for patients to access a range of support in one place, and it remains at the heart of the local community. It’s an excellent example of how we can work together with partner organisations to integrate healthcare services in order to deliver high quality care for the benefit of our patients.”

The WICC, which will be built on the brownfield site of the Worthing Town Hall car park, will complete the Civic Quarter and is set to include an adjacent six-storey car park capable of accommodating 186 vehicles and 36 bicycles, with a further 28 cycle bays.

When complete, the WICC will boast some of the highest environmental standards, with an air source heat pump that will provide the majority of heating, as well as photovoltaic solar panels.

The new integrated care centre will include GP, mental health, community and dentistry services under one roof, as well as providing a pharmacy and additional services for families and young children. Photo: Eddie Mitchell

The development is expected to be completed in the summer of 2023.

Please make sure to buy this week’s edition of your local paper to keep up to date with new stories in the area.

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Work to begin this week on Worthing’s new £34million health hub following ‘ground-breaking’ ceremony