A major new Primary Care Centre, designed by architects Nightingale Associates, has been opened in Rochdale by the Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Health

Nightingale Associates, a leading architect practice specialising in public sector buildings in the fields of health, education and science, were appointed to design the £10m new-build Primary Care Facility by Eric Wright Group, private sector partner as part of the Bolton, Rochdale and Heywood and Middleton Local Improvement Finance Trust (BRAHM LIFT) programme, which is a vehicle enabling local NHS trusts to invest in improving frontline primary and community care facilities.

The brand new 4342m2 development was designed and built to provide community-focused primary care provision. It houses a number of facilities including; GP surgeries; an audiology centre; speech and language facilities; dental surgeries; a physiotherapy unit; and occupational therapy.

Justin Harris, Senior Director of Nightingale Associates’ Liverpool office, said:

“This project gave us a fantastic opportunity to help transform the overall experience for patients and their families visiting the Primary Care Centre.”

“Under the Government’s LIFT scheme, group consultation was paramount to the design of the building. The process involved rigorous consultations with clients and contractors alike to ensure that the building met all of the required criteria. The result is very rewarding, knowing that we have played a part in enabling the Trust to provide such high quality care to the local area.”

BRAHM LIFT required a design that met with the aspirations and needs of patients and staff alike. Being situated on the edge of a conservation area and adjacent to a Grade 2 listed church, the location of the site also proved critical to the design of the development. The Trust required a landmark building that would sympathise and fit in with its delicate surroundings.

During the Centre’s opening ceremony, Alan Johnson said of the development:

“[The Primary Care Centre] is a one stop shop for local people to access health services. It has been built to the very highest standards – standards that the local community should be proud of.”

The new building now forms part of an important gateway into Rochdale Town Centre, offering the town multi-use accommodation that can be used out-of-hours of the main building.