New £41m health hub is set to open this summer says council
Worthing’s state-of-the-art new health centre and multistorey car park should be up and running by this summer, according to Worthing Borough Council.
The Worthing Integrated Care Centre (WICC) in Stoke Abbott Road will provide GP, mental health, community and dentistry services under one roof, as well as providing a pharmacy and additional services for families and young children.
The new car park being built alongside the WICC will provide a total of 173 spaces.
The overall cost of the project has increased substantially because of the impact of inflation on construction materials and labour as well as delays in the supply chain.
The original budget for the project was just under £34m. Last year, Worthing’s cabinet agreed to invest a further £5.6m in the development because of rising costs.
At its public meeting on Tuesday, February 6, the cabinet will be asked to agree to a further increase in the budget of up to £1.85m to complete the work.
The final expected cost for the project would then be just over £41m.
The additional expenditure will be funded by borrowing from the government's Public Works Loan Board at lower interest rates.
Worthing Borough Council owns the WICC site, which was previously used as a car park.
When it is complete, Worthing Medical Group, Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust and Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust will all move services into the new care centre, improving access to services for residents.
The development will also generate income for the council through rent paid by the NHS organisations and from the new car park.
Work on the health hub started in 2022, with a ‘ground-breaking’ event to mark the start of construction being held in October of that year.
The council’s cabinet will discuss the WICC project at its public joint strategic subcommittee meeting at Worthing FC in Woodside Road from 6.30pm on Tuesday, February 6.