Colchester: Taxpayers foot £2m annual bill for partly-empty NHS centre

8:59am Friday 1st June 2007

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Taxpayers are forking out more than £2 million a year in rent for a flagship care centre - even though it is almost third empty.

The Gazette revealed yesterday that health bosses were unhappy with some facilities at Colchester's primary care centre in Turner Road.

It opened less than a year ago but there are already problems with flooring, and health bosses claim medical examination rooms are badly designed.

It also emerged that part of the centre could face closure, because a massive 30 per cent of the £18 million building is not being used.

Now the Gazette has discovered that the NHS primary care Trust (PCT) which runs the centre pays £2.2 million a year in rent - despite much of the building standing empty.

North-east Essex PCT claws back about £300,000 a year by renting out space to a private company which runs a renal dialysis unit.

A spokesman said there were also plans to rent out space to other healthcare services to generate extra income.

Trust chief Dr Zollinger-Read said: "There is a profound sense of disappointment that this building, and Harwich hospital, do not meet our expectations."

He is to hold talks with the contractors in a bid to sort out the problems.

The complex was designed to incorporate a child development centre, renal dialysis unit, children's outreach team, dentistry and a clinic for people with long-term conditions.

It covers about 7,000 sq metres, but just 4,900 sq metres are used at the moment.