'Superclinic' opens its doors to help boost resort health care

Scarborough also has high rates of heart failure, diabetes, premature deaths, teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

However, the resort's drop-in health centre has moved to its new permanent home on York Place and opened its doors yesterday to patients.

It is designed to provide "on the spot" healthcare for people having trouble getting a normal appointment to see a family doctor, and includes a walk-in service targeted at people ranging from tourists whose own doctors are miles away, to victims of social problems such as drug and alcohol abuse.

The contract to provide extended health services was awarded to a group of local family doctors known as Echo Access Ltd in February 2009.

Clinical director and former West Ayton GP Dr David Ames said: "We are delighted to be able to move into our permanent home in York Place where we'll be able to offer our wide range of services all under one roof as we'd originally intended.

"I'd like to thank the people of Scarborough for bearing with us while we have been in our temporary home waiting for essential building work to be completed on the York Place site.

"Castle Health Centre is open to everyone. We hope the walk-in element of our service will help local people not able to readily access health services, or those who are visiting Scarborough."

The GP-led health centre, previously located at a temporary address in Auborough Street, provides traditional services both by appointment and via a walk in service from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. Frontline services will include sexual health and family planning services, counselling and other support services for people with mental health problems.

There will also be specialist support services for drug users and people with alcohol related problems, support service for homeless people and advice and support in self-care.

The director of strategy at NHS North Yorkshire and York, David Cockayne, said: "When we were considering how best to invest in local health services, we looked closely at health needs and where people's health was poorest. Scarborough has the lowest life expectancy for both men and women in North Yorkshire and has high rates of heart failure, diabetes, premature deaths, teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and other major health problems.

"We are confident that Castle Health Centre will be able to provide equitable access to GP services for both local people and visitors in Scarborough as part of our mission to achieve high quality care for all."

Officials say as well as underlining how the NHS works with the voluntary agencies the new centre is also an example of partnership with the private sector, being next to a new local Boots pharmacy store.

The healthcare development manager at Boots UK, Ian Brown, said this also benefited local people by having the centre bang in the town centre with a pharmacy next door.

The healthcare public affairs director from Alliance Boots, Tricia Kennerley, said it pointed the way to how the company could expand its range of NHS services across other Boots stores in the future.

The Castle Health Centre is at 3-4 York Place, Scarborough, YO11 2NP. Call 0330 1239278 or visit their website at www.castlehealthcentre.co.uk.