Work begins on £9 million Integrated Care Centre

Sewell Construction have begun work on a £9 million Integrated Care Centre (ICC), uniting services to provide tailored care for the elderly and combat unnecessary hospital admissions.

The ICC, which will be on the site of the former David Lister School in East Hull, will primarily treat elderly patients who have been identified by their GP as being at risk of hospital admission.

In a first for the UK, patients will be assessed, have a comprehensive integrated care plan formed and a care coordinator appointed on the same day, with physio and occupational therapists, voluntary services and third sector organisations, diabetic and other specialist services based in one place.

Derek Nickolds, Sewell Construction Project Manager for the ICC, said:

“We are proud to be involved in such a pioneering scheme in the city.

“The new development is now underway and as the site is in the heart of a residential area, we will be engaging with the local people and making sure they are regularly involved and  kept up to date with the progress of the scheme.

“The Integrated Care Centre will be a great addition to the city, and we’re proud to support the NHS in tackling issues with unnecessary hospital admissions. “

NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is the lead sponsor of the project and is pioneering this new approach to service delivery. Chief Executive Emma Latimer said:

“This is a truly transformational approach to commissioning a new service model linked to innovative capital development.

“The Hull ICC is designed to create a shift in how health and social care services are provided in Hull. This is in line with the NHS Five Year Forward View and the Humber Coast and Vale Strategic Transformation Plan vision for out of hospital care.

“The Hull ICC will provide a timely multi-agency response to the needs of the elderly and people with long term conditions to avoid unnecessary hospital admission and co-ordinate care around individual needs.”

Following extensive public consultation and the green light from planners, the scheme has reached financial close and developer Citycare has appointed Sewell Construction and Sewell Facilities Management to build and maintain the purpose built facility, following an OJEU market test.

Independent Chair of Citycare Charles Lewis explained how partners have collaborated to develop the best value scheme for the NHS.

“I’m proud of how our partnership and team have managed to bring forward this innovative project despite the current cost challenges in the public sector,” he said.

“Together we’ve designed a flexible building to combine all services under one roof.

“The scheme is larger than originally envisaged but will still be delivered significantly under the affordability cap, with every cost challenged to ensure best value for our partners.

“The building will incorporate market-leading design and new technology to make sure we continue to deliver best value once the building is operational. This will include sensors that will monitor how the building is being used so we can support its full utilisation throughout its life.”

Due to open in 2018, the Integrated Care Centre is the first NHS development scheme to get the green light in the region since the announcement of the Humber, Coast and Vale STP vision for out of hospital care.

The project will also support partners in the city to improve health by facilitating different public services, including health services, the council and emergency services to work closely together. It will be open seven days per week.