City’s Health Hub almost ready

It would act as a base for staff to go out into the community.

Palmerston North’s newest health centre, The Health Hub, is set to open in February.

Construction is scheduled to wrap up in early February at the former Cinema Gold movie theatre in Downtown on Broadway, allowing the Health Hub to finally open its doors.

It was hoped the hub, which cost $1.5-$2 million would be up and running towards the end of 2017, however, it was set back couple of months because of paperwork and compliance with rules. Construction is under way at the building site.

Co-founder Andrew Nolan said the new clinic would house 14 consultation rooms. It would also act as a base for staff to go out into the community.

The Health Hub Project NZ is owned by private investors and a charitable trust. ‘‘The [district health board] are supporting us as much as they possibly can, but they are unable to provide funding.’’

The Health Hub is not designed like a typical GP practice. It is set up as a social-impact and investment organisation, with a focus on not just the patient’s clinical needs, but also social and behavioural factors.

Co-founder David Hill said they wanted to try to make an impact in the Palmerston North community. The Health Hub would provide medical and social services, including social workers. It also had a research partnership about the issue of social exclusion, with Massey University, and was in discussions with Otago University about research on pharmacies.

The centre was already running services with community providers, including with the Te Aroha Noa, and offering sexual health clinics in Highbury.

Its practice on Featherston St is already open and it aims to develop further services with the Ashhurst and Summerhill communities in 2018.