Middleton health centre open for patients

The team at The Middleton Health Centre are ready for new patients.

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Staff at The Middleton Health Centre are ready to welcome new patients and residents after the doors officially opened today (Tuesday 1 December).

Located on the first floor of the Middleton Shopping Centre, The Middleton Health Centre is the only place in the borough where people can walk in and see a doctor with or without an appointment.

Practice Manager Vicky Matthews said: “We’ve had a large amount of interest already with people looking through the windows and asking when we’re opening.

“I’ve lived in Middleton all of my life and think the health centre is just what the town needs and has wanted for some time. The doors are open for anybody who wants to come and register, needs to see a doctor or who just fancies a look around.”

Laura Neilson, Chief Executive of Hope Citadel Healthcare, the company who provides services at the centre, said: “As well of providing all of the usual GP services like appointments, prescriptions and tests, we will have a focus on services that will support children and families.

“We are offering help with breastfeeding and weening, contraceptive services, children’s nursing and child health promotion, as well as others. We hope that this will help to improve the health of children in the area and also make it easier for families to access services, especially if they are a single or young parent.”

Lead nurse Sue Kellali said: “The idea of providing whole-person healthcare really makes sense to me. It means that we will not only treat people but we will look how their whole lifestyle impacts their health and wellbeing, such as housing and finances. We will then be able to signpost them to the right services for help and advice.”

NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale provided funding for the health centre as part of plans to bring more doctors to the places that need them most.

John Pierce, Chairman of NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, said: “The Middleton Health Centre help people to see a doctor when they need to and will hopefully decrease the number of patients who go to A&E when they don’t have to. Having more doctors also means that we can really start working with people to prevent them from getting ill in the first place and the health centre has some great ideas and services to support this.”

Chairman of the Middleton Township, Councillor Peter Williams, said: “The health centre is absolutely fantastic for Middleton. I am really impressed with quality of the premises and the range of services that are on offer and it will help more people to see a doctor when they need to.”

The Middleton Health Centre is open from 8am and 8pm every day. Anybody can register by visiting the centre or calling in to see a GP without an appointment.