Hornchurch and Upminster MP, Julia Lopez attended the ground breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction at the new NHS St. George’s Health & Wellbeing Hub on Suttons Lane, Hornchurch.
The St. George’s Hub, backed by £17 million of government money, will provide local people from across the Hornchurch & Upminster constituency with easy access to a range of health, social care and community services all under one roof, including GP services, outpatient clinics, mental health services, and diagnostic facilities for early cancer diagnosis. The new centre will bring all of these services closer to home, reducing the number of patients needing to travel to hospital for their care, while also allowing some existing services in Queen’s Hospital to expand to support more patients. Community services, including a dementia-friendly communal garden and educational facilities, will also be available on site.
Speaking at the ceremony Julia Lopez MP said ‘Campaigning to get the St. George’s Hub over the line has been a priority of mine since I was first elected in 2017 because it will transform the quality of healthcare that constituents will receive. In 2019 we secured £17.4m from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson MP as part of his hospital programme. Since then, I have been working hard with the Department of Health & Social Care and local partners to bring the long-held plans for the site to fruition. Ground breaking is always a significant milestone in projects like this and it was fantastic to see so many key partners in the project on site today to mark the occasion. The NHS project team have been incredible in their vision and persistence, and I have enjoyed working tenaciously together with them through the pandemic and supply chain pressures to get this Hub started.
This project will deliver truly integrated health and social care services in the heart of the community while reducing pressure on Queen’s Hospital. The hub is scheduled to open in March 2024 and I shall continue to work with project partners to ensure that we remain on schedule so that it can serve the community at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, I would like to note particular thanks for Keith and Carolyn within the project team for their tireless efforts and commitment to the project.'
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “It’s brilliant to see shovels hitting the ground for the new St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub, backed by £17 million of government funding as part of our plans to upgrade over 70 hospitals across the country.
“This successful partnership with health and care providers and the voluntary sector will offer a one stop shop to improve both physical and mental wellbeing for local people in North East London – from early diagnostic services for cancer, to mental health support and spaces for community groups to meet.”
More information on the project can be accessed at: https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/st-georges-health-and-wellbeing-hub
