Delight over plan for £3.6m new health centre in Wigan village

OneMedical Property proposes to replace Aspull Clinic and Aspull Surgery, which currently comprises of two buildings on Haigh Road, with a state-of-the-art community hub.

The centre - which they claim has been wanted by residents for more than 20 years- will have a modern GP surgery, pharmacy and other services designed to meet the needs of local patients.

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will deliver a wide range of services including podiatry, a baby clinic, dieticians, ear and eye care, midwives, district nurses, speech and language therapy, counselling, and physiotherapy.

There will be allotted space for Wigan Council to help offer other vital services and North West Ambulance Service will be invited to use the facilities.

The building is designed to be environmentally friendly and sustainable, with inclusivity and accessibility for all patients. The centre will be wheelchair-friendly and have lift access to all floors, as well as bike and car parking spaces.

The new health and well-being village will have additional capacity to serve the community and will feature green space, including a community orchard.

Construction of the building is scheduled to start this summer and is expected to be completed in spring 2022.

The project will be a phased process to enable current patients to continue to receive vital services throughout the development.

Rachel Beverley-Stevenson, co-founder and executive chairman at OneMedical Group, said: “OneMedical Group are really excited to be delivering this project and developing a state-of-the-art health and well-being hub for the local community in Aspull.

“It has been a pleasure to work with the other stakeholders on planning such a fantastic development. The needs of the patients are always a priority to us here at OneMedical Group and we hope the project will be a beacon for the local community.”

Prof Craig Harris, accountable officer of NHS Wigan Borough CCG, said: “We are delighted to be working with Aspull Surgery, OneMedical Group and local partners on the development of a new health and well-being hub in Aspull. As well as housing the local GP practice and community clinic, it presents an opportunity for us to think about the wider services that we can bring together to support local residents. This supports our ambition within our locality plan Happy Healthy People to make it easier for residents to access services in their community.

“OneMedical Group have listened to feedback from local stakeholders in the design of the building and local area. When the plans are displayed and put up online I’d encourage residents to take a look, ask questions and give your feedback to help us make this a success.”

Dr Johannes van Spelde, GP partner at Aspull Surgery, said: “This is a very exciting time for Aspull Surgery, all our patients and the wider community. This new state-of-the-art building will go a long way in reducing health inequalities.

“The new building brings with it the opportunity for the surgery to support and deliver additional services that our current building restricts.”

Silas Nicholls, chief executive at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This exciting project will provide a fully-integrated health care offering at the heart of the Aspull community. We are delighted to be working alongside OneMedical Group and our local authority and health care partners to bring this efficient and adaptable health care setting to life, giving the local population a centre to be proud of.”

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