Teddington Community Health Expansion

1.36.24pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 16th Apr 2007

The Government has approved a £4m health centre adjoining Teddington Hospital to provide, among other services, a children's psychology and speech therapy centre; a joint team dealing with health and social care; specialist dentistry; and a cessation of smoking service.

Vincent Cable MP was informed of the project by the Health Minister and said "the new centre is part of the new approach to health which puts much less emphasis on big hospital complexes and relies more on community hospitals and local heath centres. Teddington Memorial Hospital, whose future was uncertain a decade ago, is now seen as a pioneering success story with its walk in services and community based activities. The new health centre is a welcome step forward and a timely reminder that a lot of good things are happening in the NHS despite the bad publicity over cuts and closures."