Bakewell’s new NHS health hub opening date confirmed for 23 September 2024
Bakewell’s brand new £11m Newholme Health Centre is set to open its doors to patients on Monday 23 September 2024.
The new NHS healthcare facility provides a purpose-designed and modern base for a range of NHS outpatient services and an ambulance station in a joint development by Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust and East Midlands Ambulance Services NHS Trust.
It has been built by contractors Kier Group on land which previously housed the old ambulance station on Baslow Road, Bakewell, and on part of the adjoining Newholme Hospital site, which is being decommissioned when the new facilities open on 23 September.
Jim Austin, executive director spokesman for Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are thrilled to be able to announce the opening date for the new health centre in September. It was important to us to deliver facilities which are both sympathetic to the local Peak Park and provide real gold standard facilities for patients in the Derbyshire Dales. Over the best part of the past decade, and long before the first spade was in the ground, many people have had a hand in reaching this point. It is my privilege to be at the finishing line to be able to say the building will open as a healthcare facility on 23 September.”
Jim Austin, who will take over as chief executive of Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust in September, and Tracy Allen, who is stepping down in September after 13 years as chief executive, were both given a tour recently to see the new facilities taking shape. They are pictured during their tour in June.
Craig Whyles, divisional director for Derbyshire at East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust said: “It is a really exciting moment to see the last few years of hard work come together in the opening of Newholme Health Centre.
“Working in partnership with Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, we have ensured that every part of this development reflects our commitment to providing the best service to the community and our patients.
“The new building and its modern facilities will be such an improvement on our old ambulance station and by physically sharing a space together, it will undoubtedly build on our relationships and understanding of one another’s organisations and work we do to support our communities."
Planning permission was granted to construct a new health hub and ambulance station in Bakewell on land incorporating part of Newholme Hospital and the adjoining East Midlands Ambulance Service site on Baslow Road in April 2021. The plans were designed to be sympathetic to the heritage of the area and were approved by the Peak Park Authority planning committee.
The tender process to appoint a contractor was successfully concluded with Kier Group appointed to develop the site and a turf cutting ceremony was held in August 2022 to celebrate the start of building work on site.
Funding of £8.58m towards the cost of the project was awarded by the Department of Health and Social Care in December 2018. The funding was secured under the government’s Sustainability and Transformation Partnership drive to transform health and social care for local communities.
The 19th century Newholme Hospital building was earmarked for closure as not suitable for the delivery of modern healthcare in 2017, as agreed in the Better Care Closer to Home consultation led by NHS commissioners.
The whole Newholme Hospital site was owned by NHS Property Services until its recent sale. NHS Property Services has been closely involved and supportive of the scheme to develop the new healthcare facilities on land beside the old hospital. NHS Property Services sold the strip of land which formerly incorporating Riverside Ward (a stand-alone mid-20th century adjunct to the main 19th century listed hospital building) to Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust to enable the new development. The sale of the rest of the old hospital site by NHS Property Services has been conducted in accordance with its listed status and with agreement from the new owners that NHS services will vacate the old hospital building when the new health facilities open in September.