ICC patients must wait a little longer

Oldham's new £20m Integrated Care Centre - delays

CONSTRUCTION delays and changes to plans means patients in Oldham will have to wait a little longer to be treated in the new £20m Integrated Care Centre.

Work on the 10-storey building, opposite the Civic Centre, (pictured) started in January, 2007. Originally, the opening date was planned for this summer but that has been pushed back to autumn.

Services — including GPs, speech therapy, dentistry and audiology — will now begin to move in from October.

Gail Richards, chief executive of NHS Oldham, said: “We have re-worked an original timetable for the opening of the ICC as there was some delay in finishing construction and a change to some planned installation work, where we had the opportunity to provide better access to testing facilities for patients.

“It has been essential to spend time to ensure that the building, services and staff combine to offer effective health care for patients.”