Health centre plan at leisure site

Plans for a new health centre on the grounds of a Sandwell leisure centre have been unveiled.

Health chiefs at the borough's Primary Care Trust, which runs the health services in the area, have announced they want to open up on land at Wednesbury Leisure Centre. The GP-led medical centre would be open daily from 8am until 8pm 365 days a year. It would offer bookable and walk in services.

These would be available for both registered and non-registered patients.

It would only be a temporary base, however, as eventually health workers will move to a purpose-built site which will be adjacent to the leisure centre.

The scheme is part of a Government project to tackle areas where there is not enough doctors and others are being opened across the borough in spots including the former Medway site on Parsonage Street in West Bromwich and on the grounds of Warley Rugby Club in Warley.

Whitehall wants them up and running by April so health chiefs are having to put them in temporary bases until the other sites are built. Sandwell PCT primary care manager Carla Evans said today: "We anticipate services will be up and running within the next three months."

Proposals for the scheme at Wednesbury Leisure Centre have been submitted to Sandwell Council and planners are expected to decide whether to approve them shortly.

Documents lodged with the local authority state health chiefs reviewed a number of site options but that it was felt the leisure centre site was a "suitable location" and was close to community amenities and the bus route.

Wednesbury North councillor Bill Archer said: "Anything that adds to the health of people in Wednesbury is good news. We thought the site of the old people's home in King Street which has been knocked would be the best site but they have chosen the leisure centre, we'll see how it works out."