Deeside AM takes a guided tour around new Hope Health Centre

Carl Sargeant, Alyn and Deeside Assembly Member, received a guided tour of Hope Health Centre led by practice manager John Cooke and in the company of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health board medical director Evan Moore on Friday.

The centre on Hawarden Road opened its doors earlier this year and houses the Hope Family Medical Centre GP practice – which has 8,700 patients on its books -, BCUHB services and a pharmacy.

The practice’s previous premises had become cramped with patients struggling to find parking on side roads. The new centre has nine consulting rooms, four treatment rooms, a minor surgery unit and ample parking. The dispensary dispenses to 3,500 patients.

The BCUHB services offered on-site include midwives, health visitors, blood tests, school nurses and an audio clinic. The mental health team have space from which to work every Thursday, there is a dementia clinic and the centre is recruiting for a physiotherapist.

The practice is taking part in social prescribing, a way of linking patients in primary care with sources of support within the community. It provides GPs with a non-medical referral option that can operate alongside existing treatments to improve health and well-being. The programme is managed by the Red Cross.

The centre also has a community room used for mother and baby classes and community events including a Macmillan coffee morning.

“We’ve got a good building which compliments the community,” said John Cooke.

“The car park takes all the cars that were parked on the side streets. The building looks well from the outside and in.”

Nurse practitioner Chris Hollway: “The new building is such a nice working atmosphere with plenty of parking for staff and patients.”

Carl Sargeant said: “When I became an AM in 2003 it was my objective to secure modern health centres for Hope, Connah’s Quay and Buckley and they are all achieved.