Progress on the £16 million Trowbridge Integrated Care Centre has taken a giant leap forward, as health and care leaders marked the beginning of its construction by placing the very first spades in the ground.

Officials from Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board were joined at the Hammersmith Fields site by colleagues from Wiltshire Council and Trowbridge Town Council on Tuesday, November 26 to officially break ground ahead of building work starting in earnest later this week.

The new integrated care centre, which will replace the nearby Trowbridge Community Hospital, is expected to open to patients in 2026, following a year-long construction project.

Sue Harriman, chief executive, Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB, said: “Breaking ground in this way is so much more than a ceremonial gesture, it is a clear signal to the people of Trowbridge and the surrounding areas that change is afoot, and that their new integrated care centre is now within reach.

“Trowbridge is a growing town, and one with a diverse, often under-served, population, and we are confident that this new centre, which will make accessing care easier, will go some way in helping to address many of the health inequalities felt by local people.

“This is a very exciting moment in time, and I know I speak for all those who joined me in putting the first spades in the ground when I say that we can’t wait to come back when the diggers are gone and everything is ready for the very first patient.”

Work has now started on the new £16m Trowbridge Integrated Care Centre, which should be open by 2026.Work has now started on the new £16m Trowbridge Integrated Care Centre, which should be open by 2026. (Image: Tim Gander)

Once fully open, the centre will become a hub for multiple health and care services, with teams from different organisations working together under one roof to help provide local people with a seamless, more joined-up NHS experience.

The existing minor injuries unit at Trowbridge Community Hospital, along with the site’s X-ray department, will be among the services that will transfer to the new facility.

Up to £3 million of the project’s overall budget has come from Wiltshire Council’s community infrastructure levy, which local authorities claim from developers to help boost growth in a specific local area.

Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for public health, said: “It was a privilege to attend this groundbreaking event and witness the progress being made towards delivering essential health facilities for our residents.

“By strategically using funds from the Wiltshire Community Infrastructure Levy, we are ensuring that contributions from local developments are reinvested directly into projects that have a tangible and lasting impact on our communities.”

Work has now started on the new £16m Trowbridge Integrated Care Centre, which should be open by 2026.Work has now started on the new £16m Trowbridge Integrated Care Centre, which should be open by 2026. (Image: Tim Gander)

Trowbridge Mayor, Cllr Stephen Cooper, who also attended the turf-cutting. said: “It was with great pleasure that I was able to be present to mark the start of work on Trowbridge’s new integrated care centre, which will be a much-needed enhancement to NHS services within the county town of Wiltshire, and a fitting replacement for the current Trowbridge Hospital.”

Work on the new Trowbridge ICC comes as the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting promises to transform the NHS to make it fit for the future.

Mr Streeting has recently unveiled plans to publish an updated 10-Year Health Plan, which will set out how projects such as the Trowbridge ICC, among countless others, will help to revolutionise the way in which health and care is delivered across the country.

People can lend their voices to the plan, as well as help in shaping the final version, which is expected in the spring of next year, by visiting www.change.nhs.uk.

Further details about the new Trowbridge ICC, along with information on all other local health and care services, can be found at www.bsw.icb.nhs.uk.