The build for a new centre at the Brixham Hospital site, is now well underway.
The new centre will provide a day care service and host a wide range of health and wellbeing services. The full range of services is yet to be determined but it will include access to wellbeing coordination to help reduce isolation and connect people to wider services, as well services such as healthy lifestyles and carers support. There will also be a number of hireable spaces for people to book and use.
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust is working in partnership with the Brixham Hospital League of Friends and voluntary sector organisation, Brixham Does Care, to build the centre. The League of Friends have donated £800,000 to fund the build and they are also overseeing the build project.
The centre will be known as ‘The Friends Centre’ recognising the generous contribution, time and commitment that the Brixham Hospital League of Friends have made to creating this new space for the people of Brixham.
Dr Andrew Thornton, local GP and Clinical Director for Paignton and Brixham locality at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust said: “It is great to see the build for the new centre developing and see a scheme which has been years in the planning finally coming to fruition.
“The Friends Centre will play an important role at the Brixham health and wellbeing site and we are continuing to work in partnership with the voluntary sector, community Hospital and primary care to look at how we can ensure that the people of Brixham can access the widest possible range of services locally to fulfil their health and wellbeing needs.”
Peter Day, Chair of the Brixham League of Friends (L.O.F) said: “I am pleased to report that the build for ‘The Friends Centre’ is progressing well, with the main walls now under construction. The size and shape of the centre has been designed to provide an attractive landmark, whilst at the same time blending into the existing Hospital site.
“We are really proud to name the new building ‘The Friends Centre’. We feel it identifies the true nature of its usage and acknowledges our funding contribution of £800,000. The centre will be a meeting place for residents to meet socially and where necessary to receive health and social care.”
Emma Barton, Director at Brixham Does Care said: “The Friends Centre will provide the community with access to a variety of health and care services and the day care service will aim to provide social and mental interaction and also support care givers to have a much needed break through the day care service.
“It will be an inviting and accessible space to all the community and will be focal point for everyone. We are delighted to be running the centre and working in partnership with the Hospital League of Friends and the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to do this project.”
It is envisaged that that alongside the current services at Brixham Community Hospital this will become a central place for the local community to access the widest range of health and wellbeing services locally. All of the services will be about enabling people to live their lives as health and as well as possible.
Brixham Does Care will run The Friends Centre when it opens in the early part of 2019.
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