Jobs Boost As Health Centres Constructed

Two west Belfast health centres, costing a total of £27million to construct, are being built on the Shankill and Andersonstown Roads.

Around 200 jobs in construction have been created during the building work on both facilities and when work is completed, they are expected to provide employment for over 670 people.

The Stormont Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey, who visited the site of two Health and Wellbeing Centres this week said: "These centres are the last in a series of seven built throughout Belfast. They will provide the people of this area with a 'one-stop shop' for care treatment.

"The Shankill Wellbeing and Treatment Centre will bring together services which are currently operating across 11 different facilities and are no longer fit for purpose," he said.

"The construction of this purpose-built facility will improve efficiencies and contribute towards the highest quality patient care.

"As well as providing a wide range of services such as physiotherapy, district nursing, family and child care services, the Shankill Centre will also have space which the community and voluntary groups can use," he explained.

The Minister also travelled to the Andersonstown Road to see construction of the new Beech Hall Health and Well Being Centre.

Speaking at that site, he said: "The Beech Hall Centre will provide a range of services which are currently being delivered from 13 different facilities will be available under one roof, when this centre is completed in 2011.

"I will have invested £75million in this type of project within the Belfast Trust area, which transforms and modernises the way primary care services are delivered to local people," he said.

Commenting on his 10-year programme of investment in capital projects the Minister said: "These projects are an important part of the health component of the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland which will help modernise the infrastructure of health and social care services.

"At the heart of our modernisation programme is the recognition that we will deliver high quality safe services which continue to put patients first."

Five other centres have been completed in the Belfast Trust area. They include the Grove, Carlisle, Holywood Arches, Bradbury and Knockbreda.

(BMcC/JM)