The Clitheiroe imes Thursday, January 12th, 2006 No. 6,234 news and views from the Centre of the Kingdom


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Hundreds of homes for sale www.clitheroetoday.co.uk Price 60p B gap A; ij


by Faiza Afzaal


HEALTH services will remain in : the centre of Clitheroe - thanks to a


£lm. cash injection.. Health officials announced this week


that the existing Clitheroe Health Cen-' tre is set for a £lm. makeover. ) The money has been secured by Hyn-


dburh and Ribble Valley Primary Care Trust (PCT) to upgrade the 30-year-old building through refurbishment and extension. The proposed, facelift to the building


in Railway View,', which is used by Pendleside Medical Practice and Castle Medical Group, replaces a controversial multi-million pound health centre, near the tovvn’s hospital. Under the plans unveiled earlier this week, the proposed transformation will result in improved and enlarged facilities for staff and patients. I t ^


: •. ' include more consulting rooms,


allowing for improved access to nurses and doctors. ; ■; Work will also include the installation;


’ of a lift,’ providing full access to consult­ ing rooms upstaire. ■ I : - Providing the town with a new health :


centre has been a long-running saga. A lack of money and an appropriate site - have proved stuinbling blocks. ' .


■ . Three h ^ th centres - two in Accring­ ton and one in Clitheroe - were planned under a new. type of funding project ■


CLITHEROE Health Centre can now look . ahea'dtoa


much-needed cash injection (B100106/5)


months’ time and will be overseen by Mr David Peers, the PCT’s director of estates and facilities. He said: “'Where possible we will seek to minimise any disruption to the health centre and we are looking at making use of our premis­ es at the Community Hospital should the need arise. . “We will, of course, give everyone,


doctors, nurses, support staff and patients,-advance notice if this is the


'case. The aim is to ensure that during the work, it is business as usual for the two practices. More details about the scheme will follow in the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times.


' ' called Local Improvement Finance


^Trust(LIFT); A total of £65m. had been secured for


six health centres across East Lan­ cashire, including up to £7m. for the, Chtheroescheme. ^ Land next to Clitheroe’s Community


Hospital, in Chatburn Road, was the favoured site, however, local patients preferred to be able to access a wide- range of health and community servic­ es under.one roof without leaving


: Clitheroe centre. : The PCT’s chief executive, Mr Mark Wilkinson, said: “I am delighted that


the PCT has secured £lm. to make sub-' stantial improvements to Clitheroe Health Centre.


• ‘‘Interestingly the PCT imdertdok an


; informal consultation of local residents through the pages of the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times last year and the vast majority of respondents were in


, favour ofrthe existing location for a health centre.


■ ■ “This is good news for patients who


use the services at the health centre.” ' The news has also been welcomed by Dr Anne Huson, the senior doctor at Castle Medical Group. She said: “We


are p le ^ d at the news of this refurbish-


'■ment.' ■ “Both clinical staff and their support­


ing teams have worked in cramped con­ ditions for a long time and have ensured that patients get the professional care and treatment that they need, regard­ less of the conditions. .: . “There is an increasing trend to deliv­


er as much care as possible in the com­ munity, as well as a renewed focus on preventative care -- our ability to do both of these will be enhanced as a result of these improvements." Work should start in'three to'four


T t is hoped that the revamped health centre will open its doors to patients in spring next year. • Clitheroe Health Centre opened in


1975. Its launch heralded a new era of medical care, mth the town’s various community and personal health servic­ es combined under one roof.


A CLEAR-the-air meeting is.lo go ahead at.Clitheroe Football Glub'as (he chairman offers to stand do\vn. ,k.i John RobinsoTi said this week that


the club had been “slightly naive’’,in its financial methodsiimthe.las^ months, but told reporter Adrian Caps slick that it was far from Tinancial rum.-; For the fuil story,* turn


FAMILY NOTICES... PAGES 20,21 ■ AT YOUR SERVICE ...PAGES 6,7 B VILLAGE NEWS ...PAGES 11,12,13 aujso 1/3 Off ( ' .-3 .] 56: King. Street, Clitheroe. Telephone;,PI 20Q,,425.151 ,r ,Up.to..75%4Qff.i,i.


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