Local health leaders and politicians assembled for a ceremony on Tuesday (September 5) to celebrate the completion of framework for the new St George’s Health and Wellbeing hub.
The hub is being built on a four-acre site off Sutton’s Lane in Hornchurch that was previously occupied by St George’s Hospital. It is said to bring together a range of health, social care and community services under one roof in the new premises.
In addition to providing access to GP services, the complex will reportedly offer outpatient clinics, mental health services, a community diagnostic centre for earlier cancer diagnosis and a range of other services to ease pressure on local hospitals.
It will also have a community café, multi-purpose education and meeting spaces, and a sensory, dementia-friendly communal garden.
A spokesperson for NHS North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) said in a press release that the design of the hub took “several years” and was given a planning approval by Havering Council in 2022.
The project, he said, is backed by £17milllion of government funding and £21million from North East London partners.
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He added that a 12-week public consultation conducted last year drew “a positive response” with feedback suggesting an “overwhelming support” for the project in the local community.
Work on the new building began last December and the hub’s structure is now in place. The spokesperson said: “With the façade in progress, contractors can focus on the next phase of the project which includes waterproofing the building and internal fit-out.”
Councillor Ray Morgan, Leader of Havering Council, attended the ceremony on Tuesday.
He added that with this milestone the borough is closer to “realising the dream of having such a first class facility” to serve the people in and around Hornchurch.
As a local ward councillor, he said he is aware of “how keen local residents are” to be able to access the new facility.
Jacqui Van Rossum, executive director for NELFT said the new hub is the result of “years of hard work” and “close collaboration” with NELFT’s partners and residents in the area.
The centre can “make a huge difference to improving quality of life” and “reducing health inequalities in the communities”, he added.
St George’s Health and Wellbeing hub is expected to be fully completed in 2024.
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