Welsh Assembly Health Minister Edwina Hart (pictured) will today (15 January 2009) launch work on a new primary care resource centre in Abergele as she visits North Wales to see recent Welsh Assembly Government supported improvements to primary healthcare services.
The new centre will include the Abergele Surgery Practice, which has six fulltime GPs and cares for 14,766 patients. The new facility will allow the surgery to become a training practice and will enhance the provision of services from other health professionals, which has to date been limited due to space restrictions. It will also allow an increase in the number of GPs and the level of GP services provided.
Mrs Hart will visit the recently completed Hafan Iechyd Primary Care Resource Centre at Victoria Dock, Caernarfon, which caters for approximately 12,500 patients. The Resource Centre will also include community services such as chiropody, speech and language therapy, a rapid response team, midwifery and family planning teams and a child development team.
Mrs Hart said: “I am pleased to begin work on the new Abergele centre, which, once completed, will be a vast improvement on the previous cramped, old facilities.
“The new centre at Victoria Dock shows what can be achieved to improve primary care services. The new spacious facilities will bring more services under one roof to make it easier for patients to see a range of health staff, rather than having to visit hospital.
“Both these centres, supported by Welsh Assembly Government funding, will dramatically improve the care for patients and the working environment for staff.”
Last month, Mrs Hart also announced Assembly Government funding for a further primary care centre to be constructed in Llanrwst. The new centre will colocate the GP practice with an increased range of other community based health and social services so that care traditionally provided in hospital settings can be provided closer to people’s homes.
