A multi-million pound purpose built health centre is set to welcome its first GPs - over a year after it opened.
Little Lever Health Centre and Library was opened in March 2022.
Although the library is open, the £5M health centre has been waiting for GPs to move in since then.
Now it is emerged the health centre is due to open imminently.
The first appointments at the surgery have been set for May 11 and equipment is now being moved into it.
Medical equipment, furniture including desks and chairs and computers, among other things, could be seen set up in the surgery.
The centre, which was completed in late 2021, had been in the pipeline since 2014 as the old centre started to fall in disrepair.
Once opened it will replace the town’s existing, 40-year-old health centre — which was deemed no longer fit-for-use by the then Bolton NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
Cllr Sean Hornby of Little Lever and Darcy Lever said: “Things are starting to move into the centre.
“It’s a massive building, the whole building cost £5M. Certain patients have been given appointments for May 11.
“It is the first health centre building Bolton Council owns, it’s not on PFI like others. We actually own the building so we need to get them in or it’s dead rent.”
He added: “The library has been very successful, it is the busiest library outside the central library. This will finish this thing off once and for all.
“Seventy to 80 per cent of the power comes from solar panels on the roof.
Designed by AFL Architects and built by Bolton-headquartered firm Seddon, the new facility is situated on the site of the former Tesco Metro on Foundry Street.
Calls for the health centre were made as far back as far back as 2009, with health bosses being urged at the time to bring forward plans to build a modern health centre fit for patients.
A spokesperson for NHS Greater Manchester said: “We are continuing to work with our partners to support practices to move into the health centre as soon as possible.
"Work is ongoing to finalise a moving date.”
If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at zach.harrison@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @zachhjourno.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article