New £25m mid-Antrim health hub declared open

The centre has already been in operation for a number of weeks.

Mr Hamilton unveiled a plaque in the foyer in the presence of special guests including Finance Minister Mervyn Storey, Mayor of Mid & East Antrim Billy Ashe, Northern Trust CEO Tony Stevens, trust staff and local councillors.

Mr Hamilton said the centre was a ‘one-stop shop’ for health care in the area.

He said: “The aim of this new centre is to provide health and social care services for the people of Ballymena and the surrounding area – not in an acute hospital setting but here right in the heart of the community, close to people’s homes.

“It’s an incredible list of services that are being provided here – everything from diagnostics, physiotherapy, podiatry, dental services, and mental health clinics.

“And, it is particularly good to see we have six GP practices operating from the centre.

“It really is ‘a one-stop shop’ for health and care services in this area and bringing primary care, bringing community services right to the heart of Ballymena and where people live.”

The new facility is the first Health and Care Centre for the Northern Trust and the largest to date in Northern Ireland.

It provides accommodation for six GP practices and a pharmacy, as well as a mix of locally accessible acute, primary and community care clinics including direct referral diagnostic services such as X-ray, district nursing and community nurse specialist services such as diabetes, physiotherapy services, wheelchair service and occupational therapy.

It also features a separate children’s wing for child associated assessments and clinics, and provides work stations for approximately 280 staff.