Key project partners came together on Thursday 11 September to celebrate the newly expanded Andover Health Hub in the Chantry Centre – a major investment in providing more joined-up, community-based healthcare in the town.
The hub, located diagonally opposite Boswell’s Café, has expanded into the neighbouring unit to create:
- A new reception area
- 12 additional consulting rooms
- A group workspace
- Shared office space
This expansion has enabled the relocation of the Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) and Older People’s Mental Health Team (OPMH), adding to the hub’s existing services which already include NHS health checks for 40–74 year olds, COVID-19 vaccinations, prostate cancer screening and pharmacy appointments.
The £260,000 project has been funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund via Test Valley Borough Council, with additional support from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
Nicky MacDonald, Managing Director of the Mid and North Division at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“The health hub continues to be a beacon of collaborative working between NHS and local authority partners. It has paved the way for others to transform their approach to delivering healthcare services locally, focusing on the value of place and taking services out to residents in the heart of their communities, rather than relying on traditional GP surgeries and hospital settings.”
The hub first opened in 2021 as a COVID-19 vaccination centre, before evolving into a permanent facility in January 2023. Since then, Andover Primary Care Network (PCN) has delivered more than 14,000 appointments from the hub, helping to prevent and diagnose conditions earlier and reduce pressure on local GP surgeries.
Work on the new expansion began in February 2025 as a joint venture between Hampshire and Isle of Wight NHS Healthcare Foundation Trust, Test Valley Borough Council, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB), and Andover PCN.
Cllr Phil North, Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, praised the development:
“This is an amazing facility for local residents and the expansion is testament to the health hub’s success and the hard work of all those partners who have come together over the years to deliver and expand the hub. We know from engaging with residents through community-led processes such as Andover Vision that having access to good quality local healthcare is a priority.”
Dr Kate Elliott, Clinical Director at Andover PCN, added:
“By enabling more patients to access appointments in an accessible, town-centre location, this facility has alleviated pressure on GP services, helping to increase appointment capacity across all five of Andover’s practices.”
The Andover Health Hub is proving to be both a sustainable healthcare facility and a boost for the town centre, with increased footfall benefiting local businesses.
Find out more about the hub and its services at www.andoverpcn.co.uk/our-services/health-hub.
You can hear from the project partners in a video here: