The opening of a new facility is a move towards the integration of health and social care services in the island, officials hope.

The Western Wellbeing Centre in Peel is designed to provide a single point of contact for all health and care services for people living in the west.

It is home to the Western Wellbeing Partnership, a group of health and care providers who work together to ’streamline the individual’s journey through the system’.

The idea is that it will be easier for people to access a range of services.

The partnership’s base is next to the Corrin Memorial Home in Peel.

Chief Minister Howard Quayle attended the official opening yesterday (Monday) at 10am and welcomed guests before a plaque was unveiled by Health and Social Care Minister David Ashford MHK.

The event marked the culmination of a pilot project to develop the integrated care model, a new way of working between health and social care services, other parts of government, GPs and charities.

The project team and partnership members have spoken to service users, organisations and members of the public to gain their views and gather feedback to develop the model.

MHKs and commissioners, health and social care professionals, project leaders from the Department of Health and Social Care, staff and service users were invited to the opening.

Guests were shown around the facility to see how services work in collaboration, and in the afternoon between 2pm and 6pm the doors opened to the public to view the centre, meet members of the team and chat to service users and their families.

Mr Ashford said: ’The partnership represents a significant step change in the way we deliver health and social care, in line with recommendations in Sir Jonathan Michael’s report on our health and social care system.’

’It is a blueprint for working with people requiring care and support in the future, and has strengthened relationships with our third sector partners, by recognising their contribution and value in meeting the community’s needs.’