Social care workers move into health hub that stood empty at £50,000-a-week cost

Social care workers are moving into a health centre that stood empty for a year.

The Altrincham Health and Wellbeing Centre was vacant at a cost of £51,000 per week to the NHS before its first tenants moved in in November 2019.

Now, the third tenants have also moved in.

The south neighbourhood team from Trafford Local Care Organisation (TLCO) are now based on the second floor of the building on Market Street.

TLCO is the new partnership organisation between the NHS and Trafford Council and provides services like district nursing and adult social care.

A total of 77 community health and 21 adult social work staff will be moving to the centre, using it as their base for community services in Altrincham and Sale.

The Altrincham Health and Wellbeing Centre was vacant at a cost of £51,000 per week to the NHS before its first tenants moved in in November 2019 (Altrincham Today)

In addition, 19 children’s social care staff will also move with the team.

Two GP practices that moved into the first floor, St Johns Medical Centre and Barrington Medical Centre, began welcoming patients in November.

The relocation supports Trafford’s COVID-19 response, ensuring social care workers are at the heart of the communities they serve and can work together to put the right care packages in place for vulnerable people.

The south neighbourhood team from Trafford Local Care Organisation (TLCO) are now based on the second floor of the building on Market Street (Altrincham Today)

Richard Spearing, managing director of Trafford Local Care Organisation, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring our staff from the south neighbourhood team at the Local Care Organisation to Altrincham Health and Wellbeing Centre.

“This means they will be at the very heart of the community they serve, co-located and working together as one team so that people’s health and care needs are delivered in a coordinated way.

“It is an ideal time to be moving to this building as our community health and adult social care staff begin working much more closely with NHS primary care in the borough.”

Martyn Pritchard, accountable officer at Trafford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), added: “This is another positive step forward for the centre and for Altrincham. Our priority is to provide residents with high-quality healthcare services from the building that meets their needs.

“We continue to progress talks with further services who we soon hope to be able to announce will also be moving into the building.”