Leaders back vision for more high street healthcare services

LEADERS have spoken of the possibility of more high street health facilities as Stockton was picked for a pioneering healthcare programme.

- By GARETH LIGHTFOOT

Former Debenhams building on Stockton High Street

Stockton Council's cabinet has agreed to spend £6.5m on proposals to upgrade town centre shops and revive Stockton’s town hall and former Debenhams building.

Community health facilities have been mooted as a potential future use for the council-owned Debenhams building on High Street, as well as a creative and digital ‘hub; market food hall and leisure uses, along the road from the Tees Valley Community Diagnostic Centre which opened earlier this year.

The meeting also heard about ongoing plans for a care and health innovation zone and medical school in a borough with striking health inequalities, including gaps in life expectancies as wide as 17 years for men, 19 years for women.

Council leader Cllr Lisa Evans said: “I know we've got some national and local interest in some of the areas we've talked about. In recent discussions with some of our further education colleges, they're very interested in our care and health innovation zone, moving some of their health and social care settings into that zone.

“It's worth noting that our council is one of the places allocated this week, out of only 42 in the country for community health. I think it’s really important and the plans for Debenhams could actually build into that so I'm really looking forward to that.”

Stockton is one of 43 areas which has just been selected by the government for a move to improve healthcare on people's doorsteps through new neighbourhood teams.