Little Lever Health Centre still has no GPs

Calls stretching over a number of years have been made for a new health centre in Little Lever.

Work finally got underway in December 2019.

Little Lever Library relocated to the hub in February this year.

Today ward councillor, Sean Hornby will ask for an update on why no health services have moved into the centre on Foundry Street.

He said: “The library has been open since February, which was opened by the former mayor Linda Thomas.

“We had talks with health and the council in advance of the building being built to get the right kind of building.

“But trying to get an answer is almost impossible.

Sean Hornby (Image: Sean Hornby)

“It is a state-of-the-art health centre and library, and this has severely impacted residents.”

Cllr Hornby says that the footfall has now tripled compared to what it was before, and he says as energy costs continue to rise, he expects more people to come to the centre to keep warm.

The library offers 12 computers for adults, and six for children, and Cllr Hornby says it is ‘well used’.

He added: “It has been even more well used since the health move idea.

“When you sit in the library, you can see the reception desk for the health centre, and there is still nothing in there, not even any furniture.”

He says it is the first time in a long time where the building is owned by the council, and there has never been so much money invested in such a facility.

He has now submitted a question for an update on the centre, to Cllr Baines, the Executive Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing.

Inside the new £5m Little Lever Health Centre (Image: Sean Hornby)

Cllr Baines is expected to respond during tonight's full council meeting.

Cllr Hornby added: “I want a good answer and I can’t understand at the moment what the holdup is.”

Once complete the centre is expected to provide three GP surgeries and other medical support, including treatment for long-term conditions in the community.

The centre replaces the town’s 40-year-old health centre — which was deemed no longer fit-for-use by the former Bolton NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The centre was also built with environmentally friendly features, including solar panels.

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