More information has been released on the new health centre at the St George’s Hospital site in Hornchurch following news of its £17million funding government funding boost yesterday.

The 365-home development's planned medical centre in Suttons Lane is one of a number of projects to benefit from the £1.8billion national cash injection announced today by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The funding will enable NHS Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge clinical commissioning groups (BHR CCGs) to progress their plans for the health and wellbeing centre which will offer outpatient based services, GP services and space for local voluntary and community groups.

And in response to Monday's funding announcement by Number 10 Downing Street, Havering health chiefs have revealed the centre will focus on older people but will benefit the whole community, acting as base for a joint team of health and social care professionals.

With Havering's population set to increase by 15,000 in the next 10 years, the hub will include a centre of excellence for frail elderly people, offering a wide range of services to keep them well and active, together with a diagnostic centre.

The centre is for all local people and families and is set to transform NHS services across North East London.

Jane Milligan, Accountable Officer for BHR CCGs, said: "This is fantastic news for our local NHS, our patients and the wider public.

"Securing this funding means we can progress our plans to build the new health and wellbeing centre on the site of St George's Hospital in Hornchurch - providing much-needed services for our growing population both now and into the future.

"Since last year's disappointing news that none of the proposed NHS projects in north east London had been allocated the necessary capital funding, local NHS leaders, councils and local MPs have all been lobbying hard to understand and reverse that decision - especially for the most critical schemes, including the centre on the St George's site.

"There's still a great deal of work to do, but we can now move forward at pace."

The new health and wellbeing centre is a key part of plans to redevelop the St George's Hospital site, which has been vacant since 2012 but was bought by housebuilders Bellway in March 2018 for £43million.

The development is one of 20 NHS projects set to share £850million to upgrade outdated facilities and equipment - providing new beds, cutting-edge equipment and additional wards to improve patient care and ultimately save more lives.

Only two projects in London received additional funding, with Croydon Hospital also being awarded £13m.

Sir David Sloman, NHS London's regional director, said: "London's NHS offers some of the most outstanding healthcare in the world, and it has the most talented staff but our medical facilities do not always match this.

"The much needed funding boost announced today is a significant start towards delivering the hospitals and wider NHS services patients and staff deserve and will undoubtedly improve care in these areas, helping to make London the best city in the world in which to be treated."