Newtown health centre plan gets major funding boost
A town in mid Wales has received a £2.5 million funding boost towards a new health centre.
Newtown is the latest place to benefit from the Welsh Government's £100m Transformation Fund to back new ways of delivering health and social services.
The funding is for the North Powys Wellbeing programme, which will help Powys Regional Partnership Board to work with local communities and partner organisations to develop a new way of providing services closer to home.
The plan is to create a brand-new facility in the heart of the town, according to the board's chairman Carol Shillabeer.
She said: “This programme is first and foremost about ensuring the best opportunities for health and care across the whole of north Powys. But, central to achieving this is the development of a state-of-the-art new facility in the Newtown area to offer more services locally and bring the latest technology and training to mid Wales.
"This will be based at the heart of the town, and this funding from Welsh Government means that we can now start a big conversation with residents, staff and partner organisations to agree the services it will offer and how will it will connect with other health and care facilities in North Powys.
"We are looking forward to working with local communities to develop and implement this new way of working together.”
The programme will be the largest ever intergenerational health and wellbeing programme in Powys.
Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire, Russell George, said it is a "golden opportunity".
“A new health and social care facility based in Newtown is a golden opportunity for the town and surrounding area," he said.
"The funding announcement is an initial sum and further funding will have to come forward as the project and new facility moves ahead.
"This is a fantastic opportunity which will allow for additional health and hospital services to be based in Newtown."
Mr George has long campaigned for a new health facility in the town and has had numerous discussions with the Powys Teaching Health Board.
He added: "The fact that this funding and project is now a reality is good news, but I would also urge caution, as planning and the new build that will take place will take some years.
"In the meantime we have to ensure that current GP and hospital services are supported and strengthened."
