Northern Ireland health service officials have been updated on the progress of the building of a new primary and community care centre in Lisburn by senior directors of the Newry-based construction company, OHMG.
Managing director Martin Lennon, the project director Cathal O’Hare, and another company director Eamon O’Hare OBE met with Deep Sagar, chairman of the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust at a sod cutting ceremony.
One-stop location for health and social care needs
The centre on the site of the Lagan Valley hospital will improve the patient pathway and provide a one-stop location for the health and social care needs for the people of the city and surrounding district.
It will bring together eight GP practices as part of major plans to transform health and care services through greater integration. The contract, worth almost £30 million, was awarded to the consortium, GPG O’Hare.
Work on the 12,792-sq-m development, which will include a basement car park, is due to be completed by the spring of 2021 with the doors open to the public by the following autumn.
O’Hare confirmed the programme of work which began in April was on schedule. He said: “We believe this will be a magnificent addition not only to the Lagan Valley Hospital, but also hugely significant in terms of delivering crucial health facilities for the people of the city and the greater Lisburn area.”
Jitesh Patel of Kajima, who is part of the consortium; Richard Pengelly, permanent secretary for health and Roisin Coulter, director of planning, performance and informatics at the SEHSCT, were also among the guests at the recently held ceremony.
'Defining era in health and social care'
Pengelly said: “We are clearly living in a defining era in health and social care. The demand for care is growing all the time, and people are living longer.
“We have to find better ways to copy with that rising demand in our society and this new community focused building will make a difference to the people of Lisburn by providing a high-quality health facility with a vast number of services, all based on one site, leading to an improved experience and, more importantly, better outcomes for patients.”