The boss of the local NHS acknowledges a new super centre 'isn’t a beautiful building' but says it must deliver advantages for patients.
Alison Lee, chief officer of West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group, is critical of the aesthetics of the under-construction Delamere Street centre that will house The Elms Medical Centre and Hoole Road Surgery, both in Hoole, plus Northgate Village Surgery and Northgate Medical Centre.
But she would not go as far as UKIP Euro MP Steven Woolfe who joked that he wished jihadist terrorist group ISIS would “get“ the building.
Ms Lee said: “I think the imperative was the buildings in at least two, if not three, of those practices. But what we’ve got to do now is help them sell the positives about moving into that building because it isn’t a beautiful building.
“Prince Charles wouldn’t like it, but there should be advantages and whether there is going to be easier access or longer opening hours, there is an opportunity for those practices to think that through.”
Hoole ward Cllr Bob Thompson has long complained about moving GP services out of the community he serves.
CCG chairman Dr Huw Charles-Jones has some sympathy. He said: “I agree with that to some extent. I probably share those views. I think it is a shame. Historically Chester’s GPs moved out in to the suburbs to provide for those communities.”
But he said some of the current buildings were “completely unfit for purpose” and had “terrible parking”.
He added: “What is a shame is that at the moment they don’t seem to be amalgamating as a single practice. It would make sense if they were going to do that and then make themselves a really strong single practice. I think ultimately that might happen.”
