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Your Council working with you to create a healthier environment
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All under one roof
Thousands of residents in north Hull will benefit from the opening of the Orchard Centre next month
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An artist's impression of The Orchard Centre which will house council and NHS services under one roof |
If you live in north Hull, a trip to the doctor could allow you to get more things sorted than just your health.
That's because the new Orchard Centre, due to open on 7 December, will bring together a wide range of health, council and community services under one roof.
That includes doctors, nurses and dentists, as well as a brand-new Hull City Council customer service centre (CSC), at which residents can access more than 130 council services.
There's also a community hall which can be used by local groups for anything from keep-fit classes to arts and craft lessons to residents' group meetings.
So when you go down for a check-up or a filling, you might want to apply for a bus pass at the same time...or pay a bill...or report some graffiti...or request a council house repair.
And if you're feeling really energetic – go to a keep-fit class!
"Our aim is that local people can get everything they need in one visit, all under one roof," says Cllr Mike Ross, portfolio holder for customer services at Hull City Council.
"At the CSC, visitors get friendly, face-to-face access to council services, including housing services, waste management, street cleaning, street lighting, parks and gardens, highways and many more.
"What's more, thanks to the NHS, thousands of people can now get state-of-the-art healthcare in modern and comfortable surroundings."
Here's to your health
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The Orchard Centre |
Two GP practices will be moving into the centre during December.
There will be space for around 6,000 new patients with the Haxby Group, while the practice of Dr J.D. Blow and Partners, which is relocating from the health centre on Ellerburn Avenue, is bringing its existing patient list with it.
Both practices will provide evening and weekend appointments.
Other health services include:
- a community dental service, including an extensive dental teaching suite
- stop-smoking clinics
- a range of child health clinics, and family planning and community midwifery clinics
- dietary advice
- podiatry/foot care advice
"All patients have the right to receive their healthcare in modern and comfortable surroundings," says Kath Lavery, chair of NHS Hull.
"The Orchard Centre is the latest in a long line of facilities built through our partnership with Citycare, which is set to improve patients' experiences.
"We hope patients will appreciate the wide range of healthcare facilities available under this one roof."
More than 130 other services...
As with the city's eight other CSCs (see page 4 for contact details) The Orchard Centre will be a place where the public can:
- use the internet for free
- apply for a school place for a child
- report pot holes, graffiti and abandoned cars
- apply for a council house
- pay bills, council housing rent, parking fines and KC telephone bills
- apply for council tax discount
- apply for a library card
- pick up and get help with filling in council forms
- give Hull City Council feedback on its services
The new CSC will open extended hours, including Saturday mornings.
In with the new
The community hall will be available for bookings by local community groups as well as public and private sector organisations.
And there'll also be a pharmacy and a café serving healthy meals.
Meanwhile, the existing Orchard Park CSC, on Orchard Park Road, will close on 28 November.
All its services will move to the new centre, which will have more interview rooms and enquiry booths so that more customers can be seen at any one time, reducing waiting times.
The cash office in the old CSC will be replaced with a payment machine in the new one.
The current Northern Area housing offices and Area Coordination Team will also relocate to the Orchard Centre.
Lift off
The Orchard Centre has been built by Citycare, a public-private sector partnership between the Sewell Group, the UME Group, community health partnerships and NHS Hull.
It is one of 48 Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) companies which have been set up across the country to deliver improvements to primary health care.
Citycare's other projects to date include the Calvert Centre, in Calvert Lane, which also houses a Hull City Council customer service centre.
It also developed the Marfleet Primary Care Centre on Preston Road, the Newington Health Centre on the site of the old Plane Street Methodist Church, the Alexandra Health Care Centre on Alexandra Road, the Park Health Care Centre on Holderness Road and the Longhill Health Centre on Shannon Road.
Last month Citycare completed health centres in Kingswood and Bilton Grange.
And construction work is due to begin before Christmas on a health and wellbeing centre on Story Street, Hull City Centre.
For more information visit www.citycare-developments.co.uk
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