No health centre for thousands of new homes in King’s Cross development

Published: 15th April, 2011
by TOM FOOT

THOUSANDS of people moving into the King’s Cross development will have no health centre after flagship proposals collapsed without NHS bosses realising.

The North Central London (NCL) NHS sector trust has failed to meet a deadline for negotiating a cut-price lease for the prestigious Stanley Building, opposite St Pancras International Station.

The Grade II-listed four storey building was available at a peppercorn rent as part of a planning deal struck with developers Argent more than two years ago.

An NCL spokeswoman told the Tribune last Friday that the health centre was “still proposed” and the lease would be “finalised soon”.

But a spokeswoman for Argent said it was definitely too late, adding: “Given the progress taking place at King’s Cross Central we now need to move forward and explore other options to secure a new future for this listed building. 

“It is very disappointing that the PCT has not committed to the walk-in centre.”

More than 5,000 people are moving into King’s Cross and 30,000 new jobs are being created as part of the massive £2billion development. Patients will now be directed to the King’s Cross and Bloomsbury practices, which are run by the profit-making American health giant UnitedHealth UK.

The Tribune understands NCL’s failure to sign the lease – despite recommendations from its board members in June – relates to an emerging crisis in NHS management.

Under government health reforms, NHS Camden – the borough’s primary care trust – has been dismantled as part of changes that will see NHS funding taken over by GP consortia. During the complex change-over, which has seen 50 per cent of NHS managers axed, an important health facility has been lost.

Neil Woodnick, chairman of Camden LINk, said he was “disappointed” adding that the changes were likely to affect the most disadvantaged.

He said: “We need further investigation to assess how the impact of 5,000 new ­residents is going to be absorbed by the current local health services – especially considering it will include elderly, frail patients who would not be able to walk very far to get to a GP ­surgery.”