Worthing health hub approval hailed as ‘new chapter for town’

The approval of a multi-million pound health hub in the heart of Worthing has been hailed as a ‘new chapter for the town’.
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The central clinic off Stoke Abbott Road would be demolished and the site redeveloped along with the current surface level car park.

The new contemporary building - which will be known as the Worthing Integrated Care Centre (WICC) - will bring together GP surgeries, mental health provision, community care and a pharmacy on to one central site.

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It will also provide a significant upgrade to the facilities used by scores of NHS staff while creating a new multi-storey public car park.

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An application was approved by Worthing Borough Council’s planning committee on Wednesday night (August 26).

The intended occupiers include the Worthing Medical Group, incorporating its practices at Shelley Road and Heene Road, Paydens Pharamcy located in the Shelley Road practice, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust currently based at the central clinic and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

A multi-storey car park with 185 spaces would also be built and connected to the main building by a bridge on the second floor.

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A fifth of spaces would have electric vehicle charging points and 68 cycle spaces provided next to the centre.

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The new building will include an air source heat pump providing the majority of the heating and photovoltaic solar panels on the roof.

The scheme is being led by the borough council and is being financed by borrowing.

Labour’s Sally Smith, one of the ward’s councillors, felt the scheme provided a number of benefits such as integrating physical and mental health services and the integration of GP and community services.

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She added: “Our current buildings are inadequate for the number of patients. The Worthing Medical Group estate is rated as one of the worst in the whole of the CCG. There are not enough rooms, which limits services that can be provided and our patients biggest complaint is how outdated the buildings are.”

All members of the planning committee enthusiastically backed the plans.

Chairman Paul High called the decision a ‘no brainer’ and felt it would stop many people ‘traipsing around the town’ to access different services in separate locations. He added: “I think it’s brilliant and it would be crazy not to accept this.”

Martin McCabe (Lib Dem, Tarring) added: “It feels right, it looks right and I think it has a perfectly appropriate relationship with the surrounding space so I think it’s a new chapter for the town.”

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After the meeting, Val Turner, the council’s executive member for health and wellbeing, said: “This is the culmination of a long-term aspiration by the Council to make the most of this under-utilised land in the heart of Worthing.

“It’s taken ambition, vision, collaboration and lots of hard work to get this across the line. When complete, the result will be a fantastic new building which will complete the civic quarter and transform the way tens of thousands of residents receive healthcare.

“Bringing together services onto one site like this will not only make it easier for those accessing care but also give our fantastic NHS workers state-of-the-art facilities to provide better integrated support.”

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