Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre Gets Green Light

Work got underway at the latest hub South East project when Nicola Sturgeon, MSP and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing carried out the groundbreaking at the state-of-the-art Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre on 14 November 2011.

Built via the South East hub programme, the Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre is a joint development between NHS Lothian and the City of Edinburgh Council and will include the Wester Hailes Medical Practice, a range of NHS Lothian community health services, together with the local voluntary organisation, the Wester Hailes Health Agency.

Peter Reekie, director of finance and structures at the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), stated: “I am very pleased, both as a director of SFT which manages the Scotland-wide hub programme and a director of the South East hub public private partnership that today marks the start of construction on the fourth major community project since the South East hub was formed last August. “It is fantastic to have worked collaboratively with the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian to deliver the Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre.

"Today marks an important milestone in the evolution of delivering joined-up public services to local communities; is great news to many local businesses in the construction supply chain, and be a welcome boost to local people in this area of Edinburgh."

Dr Charles Winstanley, Chair, NHS Lothian said: “This is an exciting occasion and I am delighted that work is about to get underway. A great deal of work has gone into reaching this point and it demonstrates our commitment to provide high quality healthcare services in local communities.” Councillor Paul Edie, Health and Social Care Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Today marks an important step for people living in Wester Hailes as the new centre will create a one stop shop of health and social care services.

“Having all these facilities in one location can only be of benefit to everyone in the community and the new site will transform a derelict part of the neighbourhood.” Dr Brendan Magee, GP with Wester Hailes Medical Practice, said: “We appreciate all the effort that has helped the project to progress to this stage and we are now looking forward to the opportunities that the new Healthy Living Centre will bring.”

Jo Elliot, Chairman of hub South East Scotland Ltd, added: “We know that a lot of people have been working hard for a long time to bring this important community project to fruition and so we are especially delighted to have been able to help bring it to site through hub. We look forward to working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian, the local community and all our hub partners to ensure the success of the project.”

It is anticipated that the Wester Hailes Healthy Living Centre will be completed in 2013 and when open will offer a wide range of services, including: GP Practice; District Nurses; Health Visitors; Midwifery; Physiotherapy; Speech & Language Therapy; Learning Disabilities; Paediatric Services; Locality Mental Health Team; Children & Families Practice Team; Health & Social Care Practice Team, Criminal Justice and Wester Hailes Health Agency.