Work has started to create a modern health hub in the heart of Eastleigh.

The central space under the Vue Cinema at the Swan Centre used to be a Chinese restaurant, but is now being transformed into a high street health hub.

Following completion, the new hub will house a children’s therapy service and a sexual health clinic, allowing patients to access both services quickly and easily.

Contractors working for Solent NHS Trust, which provides community and mental health services, have already stripped out the former restaurant premises, leaving the two units as one big empty shell.

Now a refurbishment scheme is underway to turn the premises into a modern multi-purpose health facility expected to open its doors to patients in January 2021.

The children’s therapies centre will boast four counselling rooms and a group area, while the sexual health clinic will have four consulting rooms, an interview room and a laboratory.

Although entirely separate clinical areas, each with their own entrance, the two services will share backroom functions such as IT, staff changing rooms, storage and housekeeping.

The scheme should result in better, more accessible treatment for patients as well as an improved working environment for staff.

Currently, children needing speech and language therapy, physiotherapy or occupational therapy receive treatment either at home or in venues often not designed with young patients in mind.

Meanwhile, sexual health patients sometimes face travelling to Andover or Basingstoke for certain appointments which cannot currently be offered in Eastleigh.

The new combined centre will give both services much-needed clinical and admin space, allowing them to offer an improved service to local people.

Sue Harriman, Solent NHS Trust chief executive, said: "The Eastleigh health hub will bring important health services right into the heart of the town, making them more accessible than ever for our local population.

"We expect to see more of these high street health hubs appearing across the country in the future and are delighted that Solent is one of the first trusts to offer this modern, multi-purpose approach."

Work on the Eastleigh combined centre is expected to continue until the end of this year and it is hoped staff can move in early in 2021 before opening to patients.