HEALTH professionals have hailed the facilities at a £21million medical centre as a ‘new start’ for Blackburn.

The £21million Barbara Castle Way Health Centre has 121 clinical rooms and around 250 health care workers from a vast range of services.

It first began to take patients at the end of October and was officially opened yesterday.

Health care workers said they were extremely impressed with the centre and added that it was at the cutting edge of NHS technology.

The centre in Simmons Street, Blackburn, pools together sexual health, GP practices, dentists and mental health clinics, radiology, sight and hearing clinics, physiotherapy services, speech and language therapy services, a pharmacy, and family drop-in centre.

It aims to oprovide treatment all under one roof and take away pressure on hospital services.

Dr Tom Phillips, who is a Blackburn GP and helped to bring the services to the new health centre, said: “It is modern and very high quality building and we will make sure that the facility stays that way and that we will continue to provide a quality service for the future.

“We do want to move services into primary care more for a variety of reasons.

“It is great that diagnostics, X-rays and ultrasounds are under the same roof as sexual health and all of the other services.

"We have a new start for the town and a positive start for the future."

The Barbara Castle Way Health Centre, named after the former Blackburn MP, mirrors the services offered in the St Peter’s Centre in Burnley.

Sue Capstick, clinical business manager for sexual health at Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, who has worked in areas across East Lancashire, said: “There feels like there has been a real emphasis on the value and importance of improving sexual health.

"It is so exciting to be in a building that caters for all ages.

“What we wanted was for people to feel they can come to our service.

“Sexual health is a sensitive area and we have to make sure the environment has the right staff.

"It is in a discrete part of the building and it is a way of ensuring people’s privacy is respected.”

Cath McCoo, speech and language therapist, said the new facilities were very exciting.

She said: “We have specialist treatment rooms, an observation room where nurses, health visitors and students can observe through a one way glass.

“We are on the top floor in a nice quiet area. For quite a lot of patients they like the nice treatment rooms and the space.

"Lots of people have commented on that.”