Building work has started on a council-funded project that will turn two Bow GP practices into a fully revamped and modernised health centre.
The new Wellington Way facility will bring together existing practices at Merchant Street and Stroudley Walk when it opens in the autumn.
It is the result of a collaboration between the council and the NHS, with the council contributing nearly £5 million to extend and refurbish the site.
Mayor John Biggs said: "I'm delighted that work has started on the new health centre that will bring two GP surgeries together in a new state of the art facility to better serve patients. It's important that we use money from development to provide crucial infrastructure like healthcare facilities that supports the rapid growth across the borough."
The new health centre will house eight consultation and examination rooms, six treatment rooms, two phlebotomy rooms, a reception and a waiting space on the ground floor.
The first floor will be used for a variety of medical activity ranging from baby clinics to group therapy sessions along with an additional treatment room and a space that can be adapted to make a larger meeting area.
Wellington Way will also feature the latest in NHS information technology offering self-diagnostic facilities, self-service arrival screens and a high speed broadband link.
Jenny Cooke, Deputy Director of Primary and Urgent Care at Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "We are very grateful to Tower Hamlets Council for investing in modern GP premises to ensure that the NHS can continue to provide high quality services for the growing population in Tower Hamlets."
Dr Sangeeta Rana-Masson, GP at the Merchant Street Surgery, said: "We are all really excited about moving into the new health centre and look forward to providing high quality care there to our patients, old and new."
The council is funding the new health centre with financial contributions that private property developers in Tower Hamlets are obliged to contribute through Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The money goes towards expanding and developing social infrastructure in line with the increase in population that comes with the arrival of new housing developments.
Wellington Way is located near Bow Road tube station. The Merchant Street practice is just around the corner from the new centre and the Stroudley Walk Health Centre is a short walk away on the Stroudley Walk Estate. The two GP practices are already working closely together and have appointed a joint practice manager.
