GPs and sports centre join forces

A group of GP practices in Sussex has joined forces with a sports centre operator to open a new healthcare service.

South Downs Health & Care GP Federation (SDHC), and Wave Active purchased the vacant Hillbrow sports campus in Eastbourne in 2024 following the University of Brighton's decision to vacate the site.

SDHC is a social enterprise working across East Sussex, providing NHS healthcare services and private appointments. Wave Active operates sports and leisure centres on behalf of Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council.

The two organisations say they believe having NHS services and a sports centre combine their services will be a "first for the UK" in community healthcare.

Once fully operational at Hillbrow, SDHC hopes to initially provide more than 200 urgent NHS appointments each week along with a new GP training hub.

A spokesperson says they believe it can "become the first location in the UK other than GP practices and hospitals to deliver GP training at scale".

Dr. Nick Harvey, GP & CEO at SDHC described it as a "ground-breaking moment".

He said "We are integrating our services, including urgent treatment with physical activity-focused health and wellbeing provision, all within a modern multi-functional complex."

Duncan Kerr, chief executive of Wave Active, said it was "a huge step forward" and would enable "fully integrated healthcare and wellbeing services in the heart of our community".

From 22 April in addition to the urgent appointments at Hillbrow visitors will have access to vaccinations, phlebotomy and weight loss clinics, memory assessment services, and physiotherapy.

James Ramsay, chief medical officer at NHS Sussex, said: "Our ambition for health and care, aligned to the government's plan, is for more care to be offered within our communities, joined up across health and care.

"This is a brilliant example of how this will work – focused on the needs of the local population."