A MAJOR provider of York GP services is to open a new centre in Acomb this summer.

Nimbuscare has gained approval for an outpatient diagnostic and treatment unit at Acomb Gables after gaining approval to change the use of the building on Oak Road.

The healthcare provider, which operates 11 GP sites across the city, will soon start work on changing the venue from a secure residential institution to a primary care medical centre.

Some 1,100m2 of the 4,890m2 site would be used, with staffing on the site increasing from 7 full-time equivalents to about 20.

Acomb Gables was purpose built on part of the site of the demolished Acomb Hospital and came into operation in March 1989. For some years it was used for the care of the confused elderly but since 2015 part of the building has been used by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust as a mental health and learning disabilities out-patients unit.

The building is owned by Leeds-based NHS Property Services, and Nimbuscare would use part of it to 'strengthen' its provision of primary healthcare in the area, and also open a community café run by a local voluntary organisation.

A report by council planning staff said the application has been amended to extend the parking layout after opposition from its highways management team and one local resident, who feared the clinic would cause parking problems in surrounding streets.

The report said the scheme would ‘intensify’ existing medical use of the building though no specific external alterations were proposed.

“The present use has 22 car parking spaces located along the site frontage and in a car park to the rear. It is envisaged that those would be retained. The revised site plan allows for the layout of a further six spaces which would provide for 14 staff and 12 patients with two marked disabled spaces," it also said.

Nimbuscare, whose 11 GP practices serve 250,000 people in the area, says it is ‘pleased’ to receive the approval and has already started seeking staff for the site.

It said: “The intention is to open the site this summer as a hub to provide more integrated, closer to home, community services for the people of York.”

Madeline Ruff, Chief Executive of Nimbuscare, said: “This is really positive news for the people of York. Nimbuscare passionately believes that community health, care and voluntary services delivered together, within the community, has a positive impact people’s health and wellbeing.

“We want to develop new and innovative services which will really benefit local people and this great new facility will be an excellent base for us to provide much-needed community care services.

“As a not for profit organisation, we want to reinvest into the community. We are looking to deliver a broad range of services for local people from sites which are easy to access for everyone.”