THE state-of-the-art Rowley Regis Treatment Centre has been officially opened by long standing patient Peter Mitchell.

Rowley Treatment Centre is part of the major redevelopment of Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust services, with the opening of Midland Met new hospital due in 2018.

Sandwell resident Peter, aged 74, said: “I’ve attended the rehabilitation centre at Rowley Regis Hospital on three separate occasions and I’ve found it to be absolutely brilliant.

"It’s much more than a centre for health, because you get to meet people with similar complaints to yourself, and you can bounce off each other."

He added: "This new treatment centre is a wonderful investment for local people and we are pleased it is here and open now.”

Trust chief executive Toby Lewis said: “The new treatment centre at Rowley Regis is part of our strategy to offer more care closer to home. Sitting alongside the Midland Met and with sister sites – the Birmingham Treatment Centre at City Hospital on Dudley Road, and plans for the Sandwell Treatment Centre – this development is crucial to improving outcomes of care and making the local NHS a fantastic place in which to work.”

The new Rowley Regis Treatment Centre is the result of six months of building and investment which has transformed the community areas within Rowley Regis Hospital.

Services provided include outpatient physiotherapy, consultant clinics, phlebotomy, x-ray and ultrasound. There is also an extensive range of clinics and groups covering a long list of specialities including rehabilitation, speech and language therapy, foot health, psychology, continence, respiratory, DVT, IV therapy, children’s therapies and many more.

Ruth Williams, clinical directorate lead for integrated care services, added: “We are delighted to open this new treatment centre at Rowley Regis Hospital. T"his is a special investment into our community. We have worked closely with our partners to ensure that our community can lead high quality lives with healthcare that meets their needs.

"The opening of this centre will provide support closer to home and they will be able to avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital."

Paul Scott, estates and technical capital projects manager who led the redevelopment, said: “It’s important for the local community to have a modern health care community facility where multiple health care issues can be dealt with in a one stop facility.

"This encourages and gives the community confidence, we designed the environment to be friendly with a modern look, and all the clinic rooms are designed to be multifunctional so can be booked for use by different clinical specialists."