First patients seen at new L’Aumone Medical Centre
THE new L’Aumone Medical Centre opened its doors to patients for the first time yesterday, after months of delay to complete the work.
Redevelopment of the surgery, which is operated by primary care provider IslandHealth, began in 2021.
The new site is more than twice the size of the former building, with 10 doctors now working there. Nurses, therapists and a team of 15 clinical support staff also operate from the site.
Additionally, Lloyds Pharmacy is temporarily operating from three of the surgery’s consulting rooms.
IslandHealth chairman Dr Mike Long said that completion of the project was a significant development for the company.
‘It is a purpose-built surgery, which is very positive for clinicians and patients. Certainly on day one, the feedback from patients has been very positive indeed.
‘We have expanded a lot over the last few years and this new site gives us the room we desperately require to continue to provide high quality primary care.’
More than 8,000 patients are registered with a doctor based at the surgery, and Dr Long expected that number to rise due to word of mouth about the new facility.
He added that work would start soon on the redesign and modernisation of the interior of the building that was being used by IslandHealth, while the new surgery was being constructed.
‘That will make the combined surgery buildings the biggest primary care site on the island, we believe.’
The surgery was designed by CCD Architects, with RG Falla Construction as the main contractor.
The original RG Falla went into liquidation in March. RG Falla Construction bought the assets of the business just prior to liquidation and took on some of the contracts, including the L'Aumone project.
The work had been scheduled for completion in late autumn last year, but RG Falla Construction managing director Brent Green said that a combination of adverse weather conditions and design changes meant that the opening date was pushed back.
He said the project had not been hampered by the collapse of RG Falla and the Garenne Group.
‘Work continued throughout the acquisition process in good faith. We have a very good relationship with the client.’
He added that the decision to continue with work on the surgery, but halt work at Le Platon Residential Home, had not been a question of prioritising one project over another.
‘Put simply, we were not able to agree terms with the client regarding the work being done at Le Platon, which is why it stopped.’
'This is a project that everyone should be really proud of, and it’s been a thoroughly rewarding project to be part of,' added project director Richie Lee.
