Construction of the brand new £11m Newholme Health Centre and ambulance station in Bakewell was completed on 30 August 2024 with the official handover of the keys to the new building from the contractor to the NHS.
It marks a major milestone in the development of new community health service facilities for residents of Bakewell and the Dales, providing a state-of-the-art building suitable for the delivery of modern healthcare for many years to come.
The development is a partnership between Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust and East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust whose former ambulance station was demolished to make way for the new integrated health facilities.
Over the next few weeks, teams from both trusts will be familiarising themselves with the new base, ready to open the doors as an operational ambulance station base and for community-based outpatient care on Monday 23 September.
All outpatient services currently provided by Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust at the outdated Newholme Hospital, next door, will move into the new building over the weekend of 21 and 22 September, for a smooth transfer of clinical services from one location to another in time for the start of the new week.
This development is a major milestone in the regeneration of NHS healthcare facilities and will enable the continued provision of a whole range of community-based health services to residents in accommodation suitable for the delivery of modern care.
In addition to being a base for East Midlands Ambulance Service, the full list of community outpatient services to be provided in the new building (largest ones in bold) is:
- Children’s services
- Community nurses and community therapy
- Complex wound care hub
- Continence and catheter clinic
- Diabetes education
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Parkinson’s clinic
- Physiotherapy and musculoskeletal services
- Podiatry
- Adult Speech and language therapy.
Tracy Allen, chief executive of Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We’re delighted to receive the keys to this wonderful new building and to begin the process of moving in. I’m extremely grateful to all my colleagues who now have the complicated, but exciting task of commissioning this new building at the same time as ensuring we’re providing seamless care to patients and families from one week to the next.
“We’ve talked before about this new building being a legacy to futureproof the NHS’ ability to support the health needs of the local community in first class surroundings. Many people have had a part to play, over many years, in enabling us to reach this point and I’m honoured to be the one who collects the keys! It’s very special for me, personally too, to see this over the line now, as I’ll be handing over the keys and the reins as chief executive in a few weeks’ time, to my board colleague Jim Austin. There’s nothing like going out on a high note!”
Architect’s plans for the new integrated health hub were first shared in late 2020 for public feedback and comments. Planning permission was granted in 2021 and contractors Kier Group moved on site in July 2022 to begin preparing for the construction work. It is part funded with £8.58m awarded by the Department of Health and Social Care, under the government’s Sustainability and Transformation Partnership, as a health regeneration scheme.
Building designs have been carefully considered to be sympathetic to the heritage of the area. The design has carefully accommodated modern facilities while also reflecting the area’s heritage and character, including the use of locally sourced gritstone and limestone, and traditional design references.
The 19th century listed Newholme Hospital building started life as a workhouse and was earmarked for closure as not suitable for the delivery of modern healthcare, as agreed in the Better Care Closer to Home consultation led by NHS commissioners, in 2017. The hospital site was sold by NHS Property Services in February 2024 to a private developer. Arrangements are in place to enable the NHS outpatient services to remain on the hospital site until they move into their new accommodation in Newholme Health Centre on 23 September 2024.