Building for the Future

Throughout 2005 Southwark Health and Social Care has been developing its Asset Management Strategy.  As well as looking at the condition of our existing primary care estate, it looks at what our services will need to look like in 10 to 15 years time if we are to meet the needs of a changing population, and the premises that will be needed to house these services.

Malcolm Hines, Director of Resource Management, said: “We have an ambitious vision of modern, accessible, local premises housing a range of integrated health and social care services in the communities where they can make a real difference to the quality of health and social care that is delivered and the local environment.”

This vision has already been integrated into our plans for premises that are currently being built, and those we hope to start building in the next few years.  

The Asset Management Strategy will be subject to a wide scale public and professional consultation over the next two years as our plans develop and progress.

Some key initiatives and benefits that flow from these plans include:

Southwark Child Development Centre, Camberwell

Building work on the striking Southwark Child Development Centre started in March 2006. The building, on the corner of Peckham Road and St Giles Road, is due to open in autumn 2007.

The exciting new family friendly building will bring specialist children’s disability services together to be delivered in partnership between primary care, hospital services, child mental health services, social services, education and the voluntary sector.

The £8.5m project is being built by Building Better Health – Lambeth, Southwark Lewisham Ltd (LSL LIFTCo), a public-private partnership working together to provide high quality health and social care premises.
For further information go to www.southwarkpct.nhs.uk/childdevelopmentcentre

The Artesian Building (Bermondsey Spa Regeneration – Site A)
This wonderful new facility is currently being built with capacity for eight GPs, and due for completion in March 2007. Part of the massive Bermondsey Spa redevelopment that Southwark Council is leading, the health centre is on the ground floor of the landmark Artesian building being developed by Hyde Housing Association at the junction of Alscot Road and Grange Road on a prominent corner site. The development will also bring 73 new homes, of which 15 per cent will be for key workers and 26 per cent will be available to rent at affordable rates.

Space for a dentist, pharmacy and foot health services are also planned for the health centre. The Artesian building has been designed to a high environmental standard, including the use of a combined heat and power (CHP) plant to reduce energy consumption and cost.

Gaumont House, Peckham
Gaumont House in the heart of Peckham was completely refurbished in 2006. The Acorn Surgery GP practice has expanded to operate from Gaumont House as well as from the existing surgery on Meetinghouse Lane. This has provided new capacity to meet the primary health care needs of the increasing local population with an additional six consultation rooms, three treatment rooms and a minor surgery suite. The locality nurse management team, breastfeeding co-ordinator, child immunisation and vaccination co-ordinator and Child and Adult and Mental Health Teams also moved in, improving communication and providing a better-integrated service.

Dulwich Community Hospital
2005 saw our long-standing plans for the development of the new community hospital progress well with a programme of works to improve the current environment for patients and staff and provide temporary accommodation for services during the construction of the new community hospital.  Preparatory work to ready the site of the new community hospital has also started and will be completed towards the end of 2006.

The Dulwich Community Hospital Project represents an exciting opportunity to establish an innovative, community-based facility to improve the health of people in south Southwark and south east Lambeth.
For further information go to www.dulwichcommunityhospital.nhs.uk