Yate West Gate Centre

Doctor's surgery opens its doors in new multi-million building in Yate

West Walk Surgery in Yate is celebrating moving to its new premises in the £12 million Yate West Gate Centre.

Mr George Toogood, aged 100, and thirteen day old Joseph Nutt, the oldest and youngest patients at West Walk Surgery, were invited to join the celebrations and help cut the ribbon on March 8th - the surgery's first working day in its new home.

West Walk Surgery in Yate has moved from its temporary building behind Yate library into the new Yate West Gate Centre. The Yate West Gate Centre, which opened Monday 8th February, 2010, is a joint venture with NHS South Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire Council providing local residents access to a range of health, children's, young people and family services all in one place.

Staff at West Walk Surgery have been treating patients in temporary offices for the past two years. West Walk Surgery's managing partner, Martin Wilkes, said: "The new building is a massive improvement. Although the cabins have served us well and were a vast improvement on the previous building, we appreciate it has still not been ideal."

West Walk Surgery first opened its doors in 1970 after doctors working from home realised the need for better health provision. Kennedy Way and Courtside surgeries shared the building but as Yate's population grew they both moved into their own premises.

In recent years, the surgery became unfit for purpose and doctors decided to build a new practice and an agreement was reached with NHS South Gloucestershire to lease part of a new health centre on the site of the former surgery.

The surgery, which is based on the first floor of the Yate West Gate Centre, has 13,000 patients on its register. The surgery will have four treatment rooms and 11 consulting rooms. Mr Wilkes said: "We will have our own dedicated reception area which we did not before, a call screen, and a new phone system which will be a major improvement on the previous outdated system. Importantly, there will be a GP's office where doctors can work together and share information to help improve patient's welfare."

Penny Harris, chief executive of NHS South Gloucestershire said: "We are delighted the West Walk Surgery has moved into Yate West Gate Centre and I'm sure that patients will appreciate the modern facilities. The Centre is a unique facility. Patients will now be able to visit a GP and access council services for families and young people all in one visit. When all services are up and running, local people will be able to access therapy and hospital outpatient appointments, have an x-ray or get treatment for a minor injury without needing to travel to a hospital as they do now."

The Yate West Gate Centre also contains the Yate Children's Hub, run by South Gloucestershire Council. The Hub includes the Children and Young People Information Service providing the general public with information and advice on a range of issues such as finding a childminder, after school activities, working tax credits, education and training, or access to services such as maternity services and health visitors. A Sure Start Children's Centre runs play and stay sessions twice a week.

Specialist clinics for assessing joint problems (the Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service -CATS), podiatry, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and community dental services have already opened at the Centre. A new digital X-ray facility is now open and taking patients.

In April 2010, a range of outpatient clinics for breast care, respiratory problems, gynaecology, gastroenterology and skin conditions will open at the centre. A Minor Injuries Unit will also be available where people will be able to get care for an injury such as a cuts, grazes, sprains or bites, leg or arm injuries instead of going to A&E at Frenchay Hospital.

NHS South Gloucestershire estimates that, after the centre is up and running, 34,000 appointments will take place at the centre every year rather than at major hospitals.

Yate West Gate Centre Opens

South Gloucestershire residents can now benefit from a range of health, children’s, young people and family services on their doorstep with the opening of the Yate West Gate Centre.

The Centre is a joint venture between NHS South Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire Council so that residents can access a wide range of services all in one place.

Chief Executive of NHS South Gloucestershire, Penny Harris, said:

“This is a unique facility. When all services are up and running, local people will be able to access therapy and hospital outpatient appointments, have an x-ray or get treatment for a minor injury without needing to travel to a hospital as they do now.

They will also be able to visit a GP surgery and access council services for families and young people all in one visit.”

Councillor Sheila Cook, executive member for children and young people, said:

“We have been working in partnership with our local health service colleagues to create a fantastic centre to bring a large range of health and council services together under one roof, making it much easier for residents to benefit from them.”

Services open between the 8 February and 6 April. There will be a children and young people’s hub within the centre, including:

• the Children and Young People Information Service, providing the general public with information, signposting, advice, support and access to a range of services
• a Sure Start Children’s Centre offering stay and play sessions; youth clinics; maternity services and access to health visitors.
• Connexions staff will also be based at the hub.

The centre will accommodate the West Walk GP Surgery, an x-ray facility, treatment rooms, podiatry clinic, dental services as well as a range of outpatient clinics. A Boots pharmacy will also be open on site.

Additionally, a Minor Injuries Unit will also be available where people will be able to get care for an injury such as cuts, grazes, sprains or bites, leg or arm injuries instead of going to A&E at Frenchay Hospital.

NHS South Gloucestershire estimates that, after the centre is up and running, 34,000 appointments will take place at the centre every year rather than at the major hospitals in Bristol.

Roger Pedley, Director of Primary and Community Care, said: “People tell us that they value local services. This will bring a wide range of care closer to people’s homes, and will save patient’s from having to make many journey’s to Frenchay and Southmead.”

Services currently operating at the Yate West Gate Centre are as follows:

• Connexions
• Sure Start Children’s Centre
• Youth Service
• Family Support
• Education Welfare
• Education Psychology
• Children’s social services
• Inclusion Support and Special Educational Needs
• Midwives
• District nurses
• School nurses
• Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service (CATS) – for the management of joint pain
• Physiotherapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Health Visitors
• Podiatry
• Boots Pharmacy
• West Walk Surgery
• X-ray department

Future services based at the Yate West Gate Centre will open as follows:

Monday 6th April

• Outpatient clinics
• Minor Injuries Unit

New Name for Yate Health and Integrated Children's Centre

After a call for suggestions for names from members of the public, the new health and integrated children’s centre at Yate is now called the Yate West Gate Centre.

In the summer of 2009, NHS South Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire Council asked local people for their suggestions for a name for the centre. The Yate West Gate Centre was chosen from a range of suggestions put forward, many of which included references to local history or the landscape.

“From the suggestions put forward by local people we understand that the name Yate is derived from the Saxon Giete or Gete meaning "a gateway into the forest area". During the Saxon period and well into medieval times most of South Gloucestershire was covered by scrub, woodland and forested areas, later being used as royal hunting reserves. The new name – Yate West Gate Centre – refers to its location on the “west gate” of the town centre and the west gate to the forest area,” said Roger Pedley.

Councillor Sheila Cook, executive member for children and young people, said: “it was important for people in the Yate area to have the opportunity to suggest a name for the new centre as it be a real benefit for the whole community.”

Minor Injury Unit

The new Health Centre will have a minor injury service to avoid patients having to travel to a hospital.

It is expected that it will mainly be people local to Yate who will use the minor injury service but it will be open for anyone to use.

You do not need to make an appointment, as the minor injury unit offers a drop in service. The Unit is staffed by a team of appropriately qualified practitioners who have experience and expertise in treating minor injuries.

What conditions can be treated at the unit?
The minor injury unit can teat a wide variety of problems including:

• Lacerations, cuts and grazes
• Sprains and strains and closed suspect limb fractures (broken bones)
• Bites and stings
• Wounds
• Minor head injuries
• Eye problems such as scratches, or something that is stuck in your eye
• Minor burns for scalds
• Minor dislocations
• Minor trauma to hands, limbs or feet
• Removal of foreign bodies

What conditions cannot be treated at the unit?

• Chest pain
• Breathing problems
• Unconscious patients
• Accidental ingestion of poisoning fume or smoke inhalation
• Major Trauma
• Serious eye injuries
• Alcohol related problems
• Drug overdose
• Abdominal pain
• Mental health problems
• Pregnancy problems
• Health conditions that would normally be treated by your GP

Children under the age of three can be treated in the unit – although the problem should be minor and any child with a serious injury should be taken to Bristol Children’s Hospital.

Depending on the nature of your injury you will usually be treated by the team in a private consultation/examination room. You may need to have an X-Ray in the unit’s X-Rays department as well. You will be taken to the X-Ray unit and be brought back to have your results assessed by the team.

There is a separate children’s area in the waiting room.

Around 5,000 attendances are anticipated, and treatment time is expected to be between two and four hours. A follow-up clinic will be available.

Have Your Say...

Click here for more information about the project, as well as building designs and artwork produced by local children to brighten up the hoarding around the site.

For more information and to give your views, please email: or call 0117 330 2408.