Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme project to unlock thousands more appointments

The Stone Castle Centre in Doncaster will undergo a £1m remodelling, as part of Wave One of the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. Five new clinical rooms will be created for the Conisbrough Group Practice, unlocking thousands of extra primary care appointments for patients in the city.

As one of 16 NHS LIFT buildings included in the first wave of schemes to enter delivery, the project will make better use of existing space to support growing demand across the local community. The scheme has reached financial close and work is underway, with completion expected in early 2027.

Sewell Advisory and I&G are partnering with Community Health Partnerships, South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, the Conisbrough Group Practice and Doncaster Estates Partnership (LIFTCo) to deliver the project. As part of the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme, the project highlights how targeted investment in existing buildings can enhance primary and community services, bringing care closer to the people who need it most.

The Stone Castle Centre is a busy community health centre, hosting a range of services including two GP practices, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), eating disorder support, pharmacy provision, and community clinics delivered by Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH).

The additional capacity created by this project will enable thousands of additional patient appointments each year and support a more adaptable environment for patient care.

Underutilised areas will be remodelled to create five flexible consulting rooms on the first floor, alongside work to upgrade mechanical ventilation in the building.  The centre also serves a growing community with increasing demand, higher levels of long-term conditions, lower healthy life expectancy and significant deprivation compared to national and regional averages. This investment will help expand access to services and better respond to local health needs by bringing more care closer to home.

The remodel supports both the NHS 10 Year Plan and the South Yorkshire Infrastructure Strategy 2024–2034 by strengthening neighbourhood-based care and making better use of NHS estate.

Jane Fitch, Regional Director for North East, Community Health Partnerships, said: “This £900k+ CHP investment in The Stone Castle Centre demonstrates how we can make better use of existing NHS estate to support local communities. By creating extra clinical space, it will enable more appointments, improve access and support the delivery of joined-up care closer to where people live, while enhancing the experience for patients and staff.”

Kristen Rawson, Business Manager, Conisbrough Group Practice, said: “This project demonstrates our ongoing commitment to investing in our community and ensuring that patients receive the highest possible standard of care. Our vision is to create a true one-stop healthcare setting, where patients can access a wide range of services in one convenient location. The additional space will allow us to continue expanding our services, strengthen our multidisciplinary team, and further improve access to care for our growing patient population. Also it will provide our nursing team with a dedicated, modern, and well-equipped first floor clinical area, creating an environment where they can work collaboratively, support one another, and deliver the very best care to our patients. This investment is not only about enhancing our facilities today but also about ensuring we can meet the healthcare needs of our community for many years to come.”

Anthony Fitzgerald, Executive Place Director for Doncaster & Rotherham, NHS South Yorkshire, said: “This investment in The Stone Castle Centre is an important step in strengthening local healthcare services and ensuring people can access the care they need closer to home. By creating additional clinical capacity within an existing community facility, we will be able to support more appointments, improve access to primary care services and respond to the growing health needs of the local population. Working in partnership with Community Health Partnerships, the Conisbrough Group Practice and our wider system partners, this project demonstrates how improving and expanding local healthcare buildings can support the delivery of neighbourhood healthcare, providing high-quality, joined-up care in the heart of our communities.”

Kath Lavery, Independent Chair of Doncaster Estates Partnership (LIFTCo), added: “The Stone Castle Centre is a great example of how partnership working can deliver improved services in local communities, giving people greater access to services and ensuring buildings such as this are being remodelled to support delivery of Neighbourhood Health.”