Following the successfully application for funding via NHS England’s Primary Care Infrastructure Fund, Record Associates and AIP Architects has just submitted a detailed planning application for the £450,000 expansion and redevelopment of Downsfield Medical Centre in Birmingham to provide enlarged clinical accommodation to support the expansion of the practice, upgrading the existing, sub-standard accommodation in line with NHS standards and provide an improved main entrance, reception, waiting area and ancillary accommodation.
The planning application has been prepared within a very short timescale due to the Primary Care Infrastructure Fund funding constraints imposed by NHS England which prevents funding from being rolled over into the next financial year. Contractors will then be invited to tender in early August with a view to making an appointment in September and starting the works at the start of October.
“The appointment of Record Associates and AIP Architects was on the recommendation of NHS England and I have been extremely pleased with Julian and Jason’s knowledge of primary care and their speed, dynamism and support throughout the funding process. Had it not been for their involvement our plans for the practice would never have got off the ground” said Dr Kalpana Kommalapatti, the senior Partner at Downsfield Medical Centre.
Julian Record, a former Director at global consultancy Deloitte who is project managing the development said “The project is extremely challenging as this is a new funding stream so there are the inevitable ‘niggles’ within the system which need to be anticipated and then addressed. Furthermore, the works need to be completed by the end of March 2016 and will be undertaken within a live operation environment. From the outset we have therefore developed the plans hand in hand with the phasing strategy so that the works will be completed in a series of phases and decants which will minimise the impact of the development works on day to day operations, reduce construction risk and provide best value for money”.
The works are planned to commence in October and will be completed in three phases over a six month period.
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