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Threatened: Finsbury Health Centre |
Health secretary drawn into battle to save historic centre
PATIENTS fighting to save the Finsbury Health Centre have submitted their evidence to health secretary Alan Johnson.
NHS Islington has approved plans to shut the historic Grade I listed building in Pine Street.
But following complaints from Islington Council’s health and wellbeing committee over the consultation process, the decision has been referred the health minister’s Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP).
Barb Jacobson, leading the campaign to save the centre, said: “SaveFHC has always maintained that the real priorities of meeting local patient need require population and transport impact studies, which were not part of NHS Islington’s original proposal.”
The report to the IRP includes a homage to the vision of architect Berthold Lubetkin, who designed the building specifically with the wellbeing of its patients in mind.
The campaigners have met Heritage of London Trust Operations, a not-for-profit trust that is willing to work with NHS Islington to find an alternative solution to funding the refurbishment of the centre.
NHS Islington had argued it was too expensive to refurbish the centre under the government’s Lift funding scheme. Primary care trusts are forced to enter into costly Private Finance Initiative contracts when refurbishing buildings like the Finsbury Health Centre.
The deal would have meant the health authority selling the building to its private partner, Camden and Islington Community Solutions, and then leasing the space back over 20 years at a cost of around £10million.
The trust believes it is possible to refurbish it with grant funding and leasing the building back to the PCT at lower than market rents. |
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