THE new White Horse Health Centre in Leigh Park was officially opened last week, with healthcare professionals and patients celebrating the purpose-built facility, offering a wide range of health services for the town.
Dr Debbie Beale said, “For me, something really special is the uplifting feeling you get at this new centre. It’s brighter, it’s lighter, it’s colourful. You feel it’s a place that can really do its job. Some of the people I’ve spoken to say they can’t believe Westbury is so lucky to have something as special as this.
“It’s nice to feel that Westbury is getting something. As a smaller town, if anything needs to be cut, then it seems that Westbury loses rather than gains. So to have something new that has been specially designed for the people of Westbury, that’s really important.”
Jenny Clements, chair of the Westbury and District League of Friends, has praised the town’s doctors who persevered to make their vision a reality.
She said, “There is no way the PCT or NHS would have built anything like this centre here. The only reason we’ve got it is the courage of these doctors, if it wasn’t for their vision and courage we wouldn’t have this. They never lost the vision, even though the going did get tough at times. The doctors realised that the only way to get anything was to fund it themselves, and what a fantastic contribution they’ve made to Westbury.”
Patients from the Westbury Group Practice’s Eastleigh Surgery and White Horse Surgery have been moved to the new health centre. A major coup for the centre is set to be a mobile chemotherapy unit, while the centre can welcome other mobile units for screening services and diagnostic tests. An operating suite for minor operations will start surgery in November for procedures under local anesthetic such as vasectomies and hernia operations.
A pharmacy is also located on site, which is open for 100 hours a week, as well as providing a delivery service. Other services include consultant outpatient clinics, community midwives providing antenatal and postnatal care, health visitors, outpatient X-ray facilities, and a dental surgery for both NHS and private treatment.
Dr Debbie Beale added, “We’re really pleased with how it’s all going. I think it more than lives up to expectations. We’d been planning it on paper, which had of course been really exciting, but now we’re working in it, it’s even better.
After some 10 years of planning, setbacks, and disappointments, it has been a long road to realise the vision. Dr Beale said, “It’s not just what people have seen, it’s been going to the PCT [Primary Care Trust] and looking for funds, and we’ve had some near misses. We tried very hard to buy the hospital and we got guzumped on the land at the garage, but I think this facility at Mane Way was meant to be.
“It can look a bit overwhelming the first time you come in – even the staff have said that! But it is a welcoming place, and the staff are looking forward to continuing to share it with people – they have a real sense of pride.
“I know people worry about it being further out of town, but it’s given us space and more services. We’ve got a bus stop right on the edge of the practice, with buses coming every half-hour. We’ve worked extensively with Link so people who couldn’t use the bus have access to that. And the car parking is so much better than at Eastleigh! We’ve made sure we’ve got plenty of places for bikes, and chargers for people who come on mobility scooters.”
The White Horse Health Centre is open 8.00am-6.30pm on Monday to Friday. Appointments are available by prior arrangement for Wednesday and Thursday evenings and alternate Saturdays.
The MedicX pharmacy, located on site, is open 7.30am-10.00pm every day, including weekends and bank holidays.
The new number for the White Horse Health Centre is 01373 828 330. While the Eastleigh and White Horse Surgery phone numbers are being diverted to the new health centre at present, they will be phased out in the future.
