Dignitaries and project partners enjoyed a tour of the future Bracknell Forest Centre for Health on Tuesday 25th March as the building takes shape.
Bracknell’s MP and Mayor joined representatives from Darwin Group, NHS England, NHS Frimley, Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, and Bracknell Forest Council at the site, along with leading figures from the healthcare organisations which will call the centre home.
The project’s developers, Darwin Group, showed visitors around the site, in Skimped Hill, Bracknell, Reading, so they could begin to visualise the completed building.
Councillor Jenny Penfold, Mayor of Bracknell Forest, said: “I am delighted to see the progress of this new, purpose-built health centre. It is a valuable community resource, and I look forward to seeing our residents benefitting from the centre once it is complete.”
Elizabeth Jenkins, head of project delivery for Darwin Group, said: “We understand how important this development is for the people of Bracknell Forest, so we’re thrilled to be part of it and to be able to give local leaders and project partners the opportunity to see the progress with their own eyes.
Bracknell Forest Centre for Health is part of the national Upgrades Programme, which provides funding for projects supporting more collaborative healthcare services within local communities, away from traditional acute hospital settings.
When it is finished, the centre will host two GP practices – Evergreen Practice and Forest Health Group – as well as services for the wider Bracknell Forest population, including a range of community services provided by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and maternity services provided by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Richard Chapman, chief finance officer for NHS Frimley, added: “This project has involved considerable effort from a lot of people from many partner organisations, so it’s wonderful to see it at this stage.
“We’re committed to continuously striving to improve healthcare services, and custom-made, modern healthcare facilities such as Bracknell Forest Centre for Health, in an accessible location, are a key part of that. We’re very much looking forward to it being finished and for Bracknell Forest residents to be able to start benefiting from the improvements it brings.”
