Final preparations are being made for the opening of a new health and wellbeing hub in Hornchurch as it gears up to welcome its first patients next week. 

With construction work now complete, local NHS teams are this week putting the vital finishing touches to St George’s Health and Wellbeing Hub in Suttons Lane.

The first service to open on site will be St George’s Country Park Surgery – formerly known as Upminster Bridge Surgery – which is due to open its new practice building on Monday (4 Nov). It follows the surgery's move to the hub from its previous site on Upminster Road.

Since receiving the keys to the new building, GPs and staff at the surgery have been busy ensuring that new equipment is installed, tested and ready for day one.

Dr John O'Moore, GP Partner at St George's Country Park Surgery, said:

"We're very excited to be the first service to go live at the hub and very much looking forward to welcoming our first patients at our new practice building.  

"After 20 years at our old site at Upminster Bridge, moving into brand-new, purpose-built premises will not only allow us to provide a more spacious environment for our patients; it will also enable them to access a wide range of  services in one place.  

"The extra space and modern facilities will make a huge difference not only to our patients, but also to the wider Havering community.

“A number of people have worked incredibly hard to make this project happen from start to finish. We'd like to very much thank everyone involved for the support we've received.  

"We're now just focused on making the final preparations for next Monday – it will be a fantastic day for the practice and for the hub as a whole." 

Health and care partners worked together for several years to design the hub, which secured detailed planning approval from Havering council in 2022. It is backed by £17milllion of government funding and £21million from north east London partners.

Once fully operational, the hub will provide access, seven days a week, to a wide range of high-quality health and wellbeing services all in one place; transforming the way health and care is delivered for around 250,000 people in Havering and surrounding areas . As well as a GP practice, this will include outpatient, mental health, children’s and community services. 

A new Ageing Well Centre will see frail residents supported through a comprehensive assessment service designed to support their physical and mental health needs. 

Patients will also be able to get scans and other diagnostic tests in a brand-new, purpose-built community diagnostic centre – avoiding the need for extra visits to local hospitals and helping clinicians provide faster, joined-up advice and support as part of the ground-breaking integrated care model that will be pioneered on site.

The hub will also provide space for local voluntary and community groups to deliver a range of activities to support people’s wider health and wellbeing needs; as well as a community café, multi-purpose education and meeting spaces, and a sensory, dementia-friendly communal garden.