Law firm helps with new health centres

May 13 2009 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

LAW firm Ward Hadaway is helping bring a new generation of pioneering health centres to the region.

Property healthcare experts at the firm are advising on four walk-in centres on Teesside, modelled on recommendations from Health Minister Lord Darzi.

The GP-led centres will be open seven days a week and enable people not registered with a GP to get advice and treatment. The first of the centres on which Ward Hadaway has advised opened last January.

The Resolution Health Centre at North Ormesby Health Village, Middlesbrough, is set up to see patients from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Ward Hadaway advised NHS Middlesbrough on the scheme, which was officially opened by Health Secretary Alan Johnson.

Ward Hadaway associate in the property healthcare team Keith Wilkinson said: “These new health centres are designed to bring a real change in the way people get access to family doctor services.

“This is real cutting-edge healthcare, so we are delighted to have been given the chance to play a part in the clinics’ creation.

“We have worked closely with the health professionals on all these schemes and built up some excellent partnerships which will hopefully help make a real difference to healthcare in the region.”

The firm is also advising on three other clinics due to open this year.

The firm helped NHS Redcar and Cleveland on a clinic which is initially operating from premises on Queen Street in South Bank, near Middlesbrough. Work is under way for the clinic to find a permanent home in Low Grange Health Village in South Bank.

Also for NHS Redcar and Cleveland, Ward Hadaway is advising on the arrangements for a walk-in clinic at Skelton Health Centre, due to open in July after refurbishment of the buildings.

Finally, the firm is advising NHS Middlesbrough on similar arrangements involving the refurbishment of premises at Park End in Middlesbrough in time for a clinic to open in July.

Chief executive of NHS Middlesbrough and NHS Redcar and Cleveland Colin McLeod said: “These are our most recent initiatives to improve our patients’ access to local health services in their area and we thank Ward Hadaway for their assistance in making this happen.”