| Project: 2 GP Practices / Pharmacy / community based health services / Sure Start / crèche Size: 2125 sq m Commenced on-site: January 2005 Completed: April 2006 |
GPI Project Director: David Sadler, Director North East Project Architect Design: James Totty Partnership Ltd Main Build Contractor: Wildgoose Construction Ltd Employer's Agent and Planning Supervisor: Summers Inman LLP |
 In Ashby, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, two single handed practices were operating from premises with a chronic lack of space, serious access problems and a number of health and safety issues. The original aspiration was to bring these two practices together into a modern health centre along with additional facilities to provide a wide range of other community health services in one location. GPI were appointed as preferred developer, having previously completed a new Medical Centre in Scunthorpe. Following consultation between GPI, the North Lincolnshire PCT and North Lincolnshire Council, the opportunity to integrate and co-locate complementary Council-led services within a larger community facility was identified and explored. A steering group was formed to work up the vision and planning of the facility. After extensive stakeholder and wider public consultation, an integrated community facility was designed, one that incorporated a large number of multi-health, local authority and community users, accessed from one main shared entrance point rather than multiple service access points. Services within the facility include two GP Practices, dentist and other PCT community based health services, a Sure Start facility and crèche run by the local authority, a retail pharmacy and Café for the local community. As North Lincolnshire Council wished to fund their part of the facility through capital rather than revenue, an innovative and fundable shared co-ownership structure also had to be designed by GPI, one made all the more complex through the large amounts of shared public access areas incorporated within the design. The result is a be-spoke co-ownership structure, in which part of the facility is owned by GPI’s institutional investors and part by North Lincolnshire Council. GPI project managed the construction of the facility including the North Lincolnshire Council element of the scheme and despite its complexities, the new Primary and Community Care facility was completed ahead of time and within budget. The strong long term partnership relationship between GPI and the many stakeholders continues through our ongoing management of the facility and of course the innovative co-ownership structure. |
