Two openings in one day for Cobridge
The new £14 million Cobridge Community Health Centre and Integrated Sexual Health Unit, which includes the Staffordshire Sexual Assault Referral Centre, have been officially opened by Her Majesty’s representative in the county the Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire Ian Dudson CBE.
Commissioned by NHS Stoke on Trent, developed through the Prima 200 LIFT partnership with private sector partner Prime plc and designed by healthcare specialists One Creative Environments Ltd (One), the campus-style development incorporates two buildings - a state-of-the-art community health centre and an integrated sexual health unit to provide a range of specialist services for people across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire.
Cobridge Community Health Centre opened in October 2011 and brought together two GP surgeries – Dr Pathak whose surgery was based in Waterloo Road, and the Apsley House Surgery in Waterloo Road. A range of services operate from the centre including: blood testing, X-ray services, adult and paediatric physiotherapy.
The Sexual Assault Referral Centre provides genitourinary medicine (GUM), contraceptive services, Chlamydia screening and HIV counselling, as well as the Sexual Assault Referral Centre.
The Sexual Assault Referral Centre opened in January 2012 and provides a one-stop location where both male and female victims over the age of 16 can receive medical care, emotional support and have the opportunity to assist the police investigation, including having a forensic examination.
A number of VIPs attended the event including the Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police Mike Cunningham, Stoke-on-Trent North MP Joan Walley, Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent Cllr Terry Crowe, Stoke-on-Trent City Council Leader Cllr Mohammed Pervez and Staffordshire County Councillor Robbie Marshall.
Staffordshire Cluster of PCTs Chief Executive Graham Urwin said: “I am delighted the Lord- Lieutenant opened both the Community Health Centre and the Integrated Sexual Health Unit as it gave us the opportunity to celebrate the hard work that has gone into making these developments a reality. We expect around a hundred thousand people to use the Community Health Centre every year.”
John Taylor, Chairman of Staffordshire Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) Prima 200, said: "Officially opening these two buildings marks an important step in the transformation of services in Cobridge. It demonstrates how effective LIFT can be at bringing together different agencies and services and offers critical opportunities to reorganise services for the benefit of communities.”
Speaking on the Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Chief Constable Mike Cunningham said: “Rape and sexual assault are devastating crimes and have long-lasting effects on the lives of victims. No matter where they live, it is important that they should receive the help and support they need quickly to overcome the physical and mental impact of this kind of crime. The SARC brings together integrated, specialist interventions and support services which allows co-ordination with wider healthcare, social care and criminal justice processes to improve health and well-being, as well as improve criminal justice outcomes for victims of rape and serious sexual assaults.”
One’s design innovatively integrates varied and sensitive services using a campus-style layout. Satisfying infection control and patient confidentiality priorities, the dual building approach works with the neighbouring church to form a village environment that is welcoming and non-clinical. The Project Team ensured Cobridge is a community hub rather than a medical one, using bold colours and materials in the waiting areas and incorporating a number of local art installations inside and out. Careful future proofing means it can be reconfigured to suit a range of services including medical, education or office space.
Sustainable, affordable operation meant solar PV panels, air source heat pumps, a grey water system, heat recovery ventilation and low energy lighting were all incorporated and the PV panels alone will save almost 30,000kg of carbon every year.
Stoke-on-Trent North MP Joan Walley said: “In the years ahead Cobridge Community Health Centre will do much to improve health and wellbeing, and it is a major benefit that we don’t just get a new clinic but a derelict site brought back into use and jobs for local people. Already the new clinic is making a difference and I am proud to have supported a great team of NHS professionals and local volunteers including the late Bernard Wragg who made sure that this clinic was built here to give new hope to Cobridge.”
Councillor Adrian Knapper, Stoke-on-Trent City Council cabinet member for health, said: “Centres of this nature provide an extremely important service to people who need immediate support in times of extreme difficulty. In Stoke-on-Trent we are dedicated to supporting people who’ve been the victim of sexual crimes and as outlined in Our Mandate for Change, we want to promote independent living and healthy lives within the city and these centres will be at the forefront of that vision.”
As part of the events two plaques kindly donated by Emma Bridgewater Pottery were unveiled to commemorate the openings.
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