MAIN contractor Graham Construction has broken ground on the first of three health and social care centres it is building as part of a £27.6 million investment programme.
The three partnership centres are being delivered by hub South East on behalf of NHS Lothian, the City of Edinburgh Council and West Lothian Council.
A sod cutting ceremony attended by MSP Maureen Watt, the Minister for Mental Health, took place at the North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre in Muirhouse earlier this week. The facility will house a new GP practice as well as physiotherapy, podiatry, dentistry, voluntary sector services and children and families health and social work services.
The Allermuir Health Centre (formerly the Firrhill Partnership Centre) and the North West Edinburgh (Muirhouse) and Blackburn in West Lothian partnership centres, have been designed to make it easier for patients and service users to access services by providing them in a one-stop shop.
Michael Graham, Group executive chairman of Graham Construction said, “These state-of-the-art facilities will be a real attribute to people in the Lothian region and an excellent addition to local health services. The North West Edinburgh project will create an accessible centre for the community – the first of three GRAHAM will be completing in partnership with hub South East.
“The company holds significant experience of delivering modern health-care projects across Scotland and we’re pleased to be reaching this important milestone.”
Graham said it has committed to creating apprenticeship programs, work experience placements and jobs for the local community through the three projects.
Richard Park, operations director for Hub South East Scotland added, “Having already successfully delivered a number of facilities in partnership with NHS Lothian, the City of Edinburgh Council and West Lothian Council, I am delighted to be marking the start of construction on this new trio of partnership centres.”
“As hub projects, once complete, not only will they be high quality facilities for the people of Firrhill, Muirhouse and Blackburn, they will also have also delivered a number of community benefits for the local area.”
