The new-look Guernsey Chest and Heart medical centre, in the grounds of the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, is well on its way to being completed in time for an autumn opening.
Thanks to a group of volunteers from builders’ merchant Norman Piette, The NP Task Force led by Executive Manager Steve Powell, hope to have it complete by the middle of October.
This is the company’s first ‘big build’ community project and more than 22 staff have given up their free time to work on the six-month project.
“It is something that the company has wanted to do for a long time, having been inspired by the popular BBC TV programme DIY SOS: The Big Build. It’s been really rewarding working together as a team, who all have different skills, to breathe new life into these, rather tired, premises,” says Mr Powell.
Chest and Heart LBG, which is a charity that provides a free health screening service to islanders, celebrates its 45th anniversary this year but the Oberlands premises were no longer fit for purpose. The building is now much more thermally efficient, has disabled access and toilet facilities, new windows, new wiring and plumbing, and is to have a new IT system installed to ensure data compliance. The biggest difference will be the addition of two new clinic rooms, enabling more patients to take advantage of the free service.
Centre Manager Carolyn Oxburgh is thrilled with the progress: “We are on the final stretch of what has been a momentous period of change for the Chest and Heart service and I couldn’t be more pleased with the progress that’s been made and am excited for our future. If we can help to save more people’s lives in Guernsey, then it will all be worth it.”
