Exciting times as plush new Peterborough contact centre is officially opened
HUC is thrilled to have relocated its NHS 111 contact centre in Peterborough to plush new premises on the banks of the River Nene.
And to celebrate the move, the Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Mrs Julie Spence OBE CStJ QPM, and the Mayor of Peterborough, Councillor Marco Cereste, were guests of honour at an official opening ceremony on Wednesday, July 10.
The King’s representative in the county, Mrs Spence, cut a ribbon and unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion as Cllr Cereste, HUC staff, and representatives of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Integrated Care System, health and social care champions Healthwatch, and landlords Peterborough City Council watched on.
Lord-Lieutenant pays tribute to 'incredible team'
“This is just the beginning in this new contact centre, from where further milestones will be etched,” said Mrs Spence, a former chair of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, before unveiling the plaque. “The future of healthcare is here in this new contact centre, and it’s accessible to all. So, let’s give a huge round of applause to the incredible team behind NHS 111 here – your dedication is vital in making this service an indispensable part of our healthcare system.”
Mrs Spence was echoing the sentiments of HUC’s chief executive officer David Archer who said: “It’s credit to everyone’s dedication and hard work that what was a bare shell just a few months ago has been transformed into a fully functioning NHS 111 contact centre, which is going to take around a million calls a year.
“It’s about an investment for the future – an investment in our staff and providing them with a fantastic place in which to work, thrive, and deliver HUC’s services moving forward,” added Mr Archer.
The city council’s service director for commercial, property and asset management Simon Lewis said: “We’d like to welcome HUC to Sand Martin House and hope that their staff enjoy working in arguably the city centre’s best office location, overlooking the River Nene.”
A not-for-profit organisation, HUC employs more than 1,000 staff and clinicians in the East of England and is one of Peterborough’s biggest employers.
It operates urgent and primary care services across the East and South West of England, with its core business being the provision of NHS 111 and urgent care services for those who are feeling unwell and can’t self-treat at home, see their GP, or visit a pharmacy.
HUC is hosting a recruitment open event for prospective employees at Sand Martin House this Friday (July 19), between 10am and 1pm. The organisation has vacancies for NHS 111 call handlers and in a variety of other clinical and non-clinical roles.