The Britwell Centre, Wentworth Avenue, is to be extended and revamped in a pioneering project to provide improved heath and council services in the heart of the estate.
The programme is a partnership between Slough Borough Council and East Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Group who are part of the Frimley Collaborative and will provide:
• a brand new, state of the art facility for the Avenue Medical Centre – currently sited on the other side of Wentworth Avenue
• new health services – currently provided at local hospitals
• community health services – currently provided at the Britwell Clinic sited on the other side of Wentworth Avenue
The library and council access point will remain at the Britwell Centre, as will facilities for The Recycled Teenagers Club and other community groups.
Councillor James Swindlehurst, leader of the council and lead member for regeneration, said: “Our plans for regeneration have always been about improving services and improving the environment those services live in, ultimately improving the future for our residents.
“We want to play our part in providing modern services to Britwell residents – both council services and local health services – and this programme will do just that, bringing extensive and improved heath services into the centre of the area.”
New health services which will be housed in the extended and revamped Britwell Centre, alongside the traditional GP services, include:
• mental health and counselling services
• maternity
• health visitors and child health services
• physiotherapy
• dermatology
• phlebotomy (blood taking) clinics
• vaccination clinics
• blood pressure clinics
• drug monitoring clinics
Sangeeta Saran, Director of operations, Slough Place for NHS Frimley Collaborative, said: “The Avenue Medical Centre has been providing an excellent service to Britwell residents for many years and it is rightly held in high esteem locally.
“Unfortunately its current home is simply too small to provide all the range of services we want to provide in a local and convenient setting; particularly due to the level of need in the Britwell area.
“This project will revolutionise local health services for Britwell residents, support those same residents with community health services, voluntary and council services together, working together, closely both physically and in an integrated way for the benefit of the local area and all those who live there.”
Britwell currently has one of the highest rates of A&E and emergency admissions in the borough, with depression rates more than double those of the rest of the population and a high prevalence of long-term conditions such as respiratory conditions, diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
More than 25 percent of children in Britwell are considered to be living in poverty in comparison to less than 20 percent in Slough as a whole.
Councillor Natasa Pantelic, lead member for health and wellbeing, said: “This facility will be an excellent addition to the Britwell Centre and a fantastic resource for local residents.
“No longer will people have to drive or attempt to get a bus to Wexham Park for that vital blood test or all important maternity check. Now it will be on the doorstep, easily accessible, convenient and in a modern environment; something local residents can be proud of.”
Construction is expected to start on the extension and changes to the Britwell Centre later this month. The contractor appointed to do the works is Keir.
The extension and redesign is expected to cost in the region of £3 million.
The Children’s Services contact centre, currently housed at The Britwell Centre will be relocated to the Cippenham Community Centre, Earls Lane.