New £26m Ballymena health and care centre on course to open next year

Health Minister, Jim Wells, has visited Ballymena to view progress on the new health and care centre under construction at the Braid Valley Hospital site.

The new health and care centre will include GP Practices as well as a mix of locally accessible selected acute, primary and community care services.

Speaking at the site, Health Minister Jim Wells said: “This new Health and Care Centre will provide a range of easy accessible, integrated services from a modern one stop facility.

“The core vision of Transforming Your Care is to deliver care closer to people’s homes and reduce unnecessary hospitalisation. I have already underlined my commitment to achieving a transformation in health and social care services.

“I believe if we want to continue to offer quality, sustainable and safe services into the future, we have to continue to develop new ways of working.”

Acknowledging the efforts of Trust staff over the years in ensuring patients have access to services the Minister added “This health and care centre in Ballymena is a much needed facility which will replace outdated accommodation. I look forward to seeing this modern facility opening to patients next autumn.”

Dr Tony Stevens, Chief Executive of the Northern Trust welcomed the Health Minister to see firsthand the progress of the new health and care centre.

He said “The Health and Care Centre is a much needed brand new facility which will dramatically improve the provision and delivery of health care and social services to people in Ballymena and throughout the Trust area.

“By providing services in one area in the community closer to where people live they will be able to live independently for longer in their own homes and reduce unnecessary hospitalisation as outlined in the Transforming Your Care report.

“Local access to health care will help to promote good health, improve chronic disease management and allow for early diagnosis and treatment of conditions.

“We look forward to the opening of this brand new centre which will bring a wide range of health and care services together that will ultimately benefit patients and promote good outcomes for patients, families and their carers”.

Pictured during a visit to Ballymena Health and Care Centre are Jim Wells, Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Bob McCann, Chairman Northern Trust, Tony Stevens, Chief Executive Northern Trust, Daithi McKay MLA, representatives from the Northern Trust’s Capital Development Team, Department of Finance and Personnel, O’Hare McGovern Ltd Construction, Keppie Design Architects, WH Stephens Quantity Surveyors and Gareth Hoskins Architects

12th December 2014