Health care for residents in Castleford will get a massive boost after councillors gave the green light to a multi-million pound investment in a new purpose-built health hub in the town.
With increasing demand for healthcare services, Wakefield Council is investing £12.5 million in building a new hub, after Cabinet members approved funding for the plan (on Tuesday 8 November).
Two existing GP practices, along with a new practice and Council services will open in the building, that is planned on the site of the car park of an existing health centre, in Welbeck Street.
The new healthcare hub aims to help ease pressure on local hospitals and other NHS services by allowing residents to receive a wider range of treatments, closer to home.
The leader of Wakefield Council, Cllr Denise Jeffery, said: “I am delighted that this decision means we can move forward to achieving better health care for residents in Castleford.
“We want to support ways to create better health and lives for our residents and this new hub is part of our goal to make Castleford a great place to live with access to the best services.”
Jo Webster, accountable officer for Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership, said: “This is a great example of partnership working in Wakefield District and I’m delighted this is now becoming a reality.
“This new health centre, in the heart of Castleford, will provide excellent integrated healthcare services for local people, with better facilities and an improved environment for both those using and working in the building.”
The new hub becomes the first major regeneration project to be achieved by the Council, which recently committed to transforming the town centre and bringing improvements that could benefit residents, businesses, and visitors.
The health hub proposal comes under the Strategic Regeneration Framework for Castleford, and is a guide to how the town centre could be developed over the next two decades by the Council and in collaboration with other organisations.
This project is being delivered in a partnership between Wakefield Council, the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), and NHS Property Services.
Most of the Council funding will be covered by them leasing the building back to the occupiers.
Construction work on the new health hub is expected to start in the summer of 2023 and be completed by early 2025.
