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State-of-the-art £5 million doctors clinic unused with no GPs a YEAR after it was built

2023-03-03 2 Dailymotion

A state-of-the-art £5 million doctors clinic is unused and with no GPs one year after it was built following a staggering NHS "cock-up", a councillor has claimed. <br /><br />Little Lever Health Centre was meant to welcome medics soon after it opened, but Sean Hornby says healthcare chiefs stalled the move over “contract negotiations”.<br /><br />And shocking photos now show the modern clinic, fit with 14 consultation rooms, laying shuttered months after GPs were meant to begin treating patients.<br /><br />The independent councillor said he was “annoyed” with the slow progress after he'd “fought like mad” to secure the money for the clinic in Bolton, Grtr. Manchester.<br /><br />And he said while residents were left furious with the council, he blamed the local NHS bosses for delaying the doctors’ arrival.<br /><br />He added: “It’s just crazy. My GP himself was keen to get into that building.”<br /><br />Sean, from the local Little Lever & Darcy Lever party, said GPs were meant to move into the clinic within three months of its opening in February 2022.<br /><br />But he claimed wrangling over doctors' contracts had left the clinic empty after a new NHS health partnership took over the running of local health services in Bolton.<br /><br />Sean said he had been disappointed when he found snagging issues had still not been addressed at the multi-million-pound health clinic during a recent visit.<br /><br />He went on: “It’s a brand new state-of-the-art building. I fought like mad for it. <br /><br />“The last council administration wanted to convert the old Tesco building on that site into a health centre and library. <br /><br />“I said 'You can’t do it. You can’t make a supermarket into a health centre, it won’t be fit for purpose.'<br /><br />“It’s the most eco-friendly building, it’s completely solar-powered. We’ve got about 80 solar panels on the roof. It’s a brilliant building.<br /><br />“But I went there yesterday. It’s simple things - the snagging has not been done from when it was built. <br /><br />“If you’ve got consultation rooms where the windows face onto the car park areas, they’ve not got obscure glasses in it. Those simple snagging issues were mentioned last year.”<br /><br />A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “We are still working with the NHS to move health services in as soon as possible.<br /><br />“We can’t comment on the reasons for the delay or anything about GP funding.”<br /><br />Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership and Bolton NHS Foundation Trust have both been approached for comment.

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