The refurbishment of a former medical centre at Greenwich’s “forgotten estate” has been completed.

And local health bosses have confirmed an opening during Spring this year is being targeted for the facility, located at the site of the former The Source medical centre at Horn Park estate.

Responding to enquiries from the local democracy reporting service,  NHS Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group said work was now underway to “fit out” the centre with equipment. 

A spokesperson for NHS Greenwich Clinical Commissioning Group said:

“We have been working closely with colleagues at the Royal Borough of Greenwich to progress the opening of the centre in Horn Park.

“Refurbishment work is complete and we are now in the process of fitting out the centre with the required equipment and facilities to enable two nurse-led sessions and one session led by a Live Well Coach to be safely delivered from the site as agreed.”

The site will not reopen as a medical centre and will not provide the same level of service as was previously delivered by Oxleas Trust when it was called The Source.

The new facility will instead only operate part-time.

The walk-in centre first closed in 2016 when the CCG decided to cut its funding to the nurse-led centre.

At the time, the CCG said 80 per cent of activity at The Source was outside its responsibility, meaning funding was to be axed.

The decision was dubbed a “travesty” for the Horn Park community, which campaigned against the closure.

A community campaign saw a petition, which called for the centre to reopen, gather 690 signatures.

Eltham MP Clive Efford presented the petition to the CCG in late 2018,  with the MP also securing a Commons adjournment debate on the removal of primary medical care from areas of deprivation, such as The Source from Horn Park estate.

The CCG announced in April 2019 it would re-open the facility for two half-day sessions a week only with a nurse practitioner, plus one half day visit to the estate by a Live Well health consultant.

Middle Park and Sutcliffe resident and former patient Roger Gartland welcomed the news, although added it was disappointing the site hadn’t been opened in time for the busy winter period.

“I welcome the news very much – but it is the fourth winter that residents of Horne Park have had without primary care on the estate,” he said.

Mr Gartland, who helped organise the petition which was presented to the CCG, said the facility would have helped during the winter months, when illness and mortality rates spike.

“It would have been great to have primary care on the estate during the winter, particularly for the elderly and mums with children,” he said.

“I just hopes it opens as soon as possible.”