Health hub to replace Boots town centre building

Plans for a new town centre NHS health centre and pharmacy in a former Boots shop have approved by councillors.

The Abbey Pharmacy in Rotherham's indoor market will move to the site on Effingham Street early next year due to the market redevelopment.

The second phase of the council plan will explore the potential for the rest of the building to house an NHS GP or walk-in healthcare services.

Councillor John Williams said the town centre could no longer rely solely on a retail offering: "We have to find alternative uses for the town centre."

Feasibility work for the second phase will begin this summer.

No final decision has been made on the exact services, but council officers said the building could be adapted to support a mix of health and wellbeing care, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Williams said: "Rotherham town centre is currently limited in its provision of health services, and it would benefit from utilising this vacant building."

"Something like a health hub, depending on the services we get pulled into there, could really make a big contribution to wider health services," he added.

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