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HURST ROAD HEALTH CENTRE
Waltham Forest's first purpose built Health Centre was opened in June 1966 on a site
roughly ¾ of an acre in size situated in the central area of the new Borough and easily accessible
by public transport from any direction.
The building had originally been designed as a Health Services Clinic to accommodate
those services hitherto provided at the Walthamstow Town Hall and to bring together, under one
roof, other services such as Child Guidance, Speech Therapy and Physiotherapy which were
housed in old and unsatisfactory premises in various places in the Borough.
During the planning and design stage an approach was made by three general medical
practitioners whose surgeries were near to the proposed Clinic regarding the possibility of their
being provided with accommodation in the building. The outcome of the discussions which took
place in connection with this application was an agreement to modify the design to enable the
general practitioners and the local Health Authority to share the use of certain rooms and to
provide reception facilities for the general practitioners' patients.
The Ministry of Health approved the project and loan consent was received in May 1964.
The total cost, including building works, cost of land, equipment etc. was £139,500.
Work on the site by the appointed contractors began in September 1964 and the project
was due for completion in November 1965. A series of difficulties necessitated an extension of
the completion date and the building was finally handed over for occupation on 1st June 1966.
Interesting use of the sloping nature of the land has been made by the architects
responsible for the design of the building in its internal layout and this, together with the decoration
and equipment of the Centre, provides a novel and stimulating experience for those working
in and attending the Centre.
The accommodation incorporates three medical consulting rooms with examination rooms
adjoining, four dental surgeries with a dental laboratory and x-ray facilities, a four-cubicle
chiropody suite, a large room for combined use as a physiotherapy unit and lecture or demonstration
hall, a child guidance suite, a minor ailments treatment room, a speech therapy unit and a
specially constructed and acoustically treated room for accurately testing children's hearing.
Additionally there are various waiting areas and reception offices.
The three general medical practitioners have transferred their practices entirely to the
Health Centre and hold regular morning and evening surgeries and occasional afternoon sessions
for Ante-natal examinations, vaccination and immunisation etc. Since they commenced operating
from the Centre arrangements have been made for the attachment of Health Visiting and District
Nursing staff to assist them in dealing with their patients' requirements. This is a "full"
attachment appropriate to a Health Centre as distinct from those partial attachments of nursing
staff to general medical practices already in existence throughout the Borough
In addition to the Local Authority Services referred to above the following Specialist
Services, provided in association with the Local Hospital Management Committee, are available
to school children:
Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic
Ophthalmology Clinic
Orthopaedic Clinic
Paediatric Clinic
Physiotherapy
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