THE HEALTH REVOLUTION’S FINALLY HERE IN BRADFORD

Health Secretary Alan Johnson opened the country’s first GP-led health centre in December, LCD Bradford at Hillside Bridge which is run by West Yorkshire based social enterprise, Local Care Direct (LCD).

Mr. Johnson said: “Local Care Direct is a social enterprise that is putting something back into the community and they are very much focused on tackling health inequalities. I am a great supporter of the whole concept of social enterprise and Local Care Direct has shown how effective social enterprises can be by winning this contract.

“It is really brilliant. People will be able to come here and access a range of services such as sexual health services and podiatry services – and those with long term conditions like asthma will also be able to be seen here in the community rather than traipsing off to a hospital.”

Mr. Johnson stressed that the Hillside Bridge Health Care Centre was not about replacing existing GP services, but about enhancing them. He described it as “a revolutionary facility” which will accessible by both registered and unregistered patients without the need for an appointment.

“The whole point is to provide extra capacity and not to damage existing services. There were various arguments about what this could mean but we were very much on the side of the patients who should be able to access primary care much more easily and at times that are suitable to them rather than their health care professional. This is what we envisaged that GP-led health centres would be all about,” he said.

The Hillside Bridge Health Care Centre is situated in an area of Bradford which suffers from a high level of social deprivation and health inequality and where existing GP services have been stretched for some time.

The new Centre will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the year - including Christmas Day – and will serve a registered patient population of up to 6,000 in the next five years.

It will also be accessible for non-registered patients and will be available as a “walk-in” centre for people who just want to turn up to be seen by a doctor or nurse without an appointment.

Helen Hirst, Director of Service Development at Bradford & Airedale tPCT, said: “This really is an exciting opportunity to change the face of primary care in an area where people need more GPs and extra services. Up to 4,000 extra patients will be able to register at Hillside Bridge and, with the extended opening hours, they will have a greater choice of appointment times than ever before.

“We believe the best place for someone to receive care is from their own GP. However, in some cases, people may find it hard to get to their own GP so the additional service for unregistered patients will offer them the opportunity to receive care when they might otherwise have struggled to do so.”

The Hillside Bridge Health Care Centre is the first of 152 such centres planned as part of a £250 million extra investment in primary care services announced by the Government last year.

At the opening of the new service on Monday 1 December, Mollie Temple met community leaders and from the public and voluntary sectors during an “Open Hour” to discuss local issues and highlight the range of services available at Hillside Bridge.

“Engaging with the wider community and listening to what they have to say will help us to tackle the significant health inequalities there are in Bradford. Working in partnership with the community is the foundation on which we will be developing and improving services to the local patient population,” she said.

So what does this new service mean to the people of Bradford?
• Services at LCD Bradford at Hillside Bridge are available to everyone – both registered and unregistered patients.
• Longer opening hours – 8am to 8pm.
• The centre is open every day of the week, every day of the year. And yes, this does mean weekends and bank holidays!
• There is a walk-in facility built into the service for both registered and unregistered patients can just turn up at the centre and be seen by a doctor or a nurse – no appointment necessary.
• There is 24 hour telephone access 0845 121 1024 available for booking appointments, ordering repeat prescriptions, finding out routine test results and for general enquiries.
• Local Care Direct is working closely with the local community and particularly with the voluntary and community sector to ensure that this new service reaches the people who need it the most.


How to find LCD Bradford at Hillside Bridge

4 Butler Street West
(off New Otley Road)
Bradford
BD3 0BS

0845 121 1024
This brand new purpose built centre is only 800m out of Bradford city centre and is easily accessible by car, on public transport and on foot.

Nearest train stations:
Bradford Forster Square
Bradford Interchange

Bus routes that stop close to LCD Bradford at Hillside Bridge:
636, 645 & 670