One of the Council’s biggest office buildings has a new tenant as part of a deal to help the strategic development of Derriford Hospital and support vital health services in Plymouth.
From next month, the Community Phlebotomy Hub (which is blood testing) will be moving to a new home in Windsor House, on Tavistock Road, helping to free up space for clinical work within the main hospital campus.
Windsor House is owned by Plymouth City Council and has been vacant since last summer 2023. As with all major organisations, the Council has been adapting to the availability of new technology and working from home practices, instigated during the pandemic, which has radically reduced the need for office space.
The Council constantly reviews its properties and assets to make sure they provide value in meeting the needs of our services to residents and helping us deliver priorities for the city. This involves both buying and selling properties.
Councillor Mark Lowry, Cabinet member for finance said: “We work closely with colleagues in the NHS and we are all too aware of the challenges the hospital faces. This move will help provide some much-needed physical space for clinical work.
“We constantly review our property portfolio to make the most of it for our residents and that includes working with others to address citywide health issues.”
John Stephens, Director of Estates & Facilities at University Hospitals Plymouth said: “We are really pleased to be working with Plymouth City Council to move some of our services to Windsor House. Not only does this free up valuable space at Derriford for clinical services, it ensures this prominent and highly accessible property is utilised for the benefit of our patients and staff.”
As the property has been empty for over a year, the Council is currently carrying out some remedial work to make sure that the building is fit for occupation at the end of the month.
The service is currently at Futures Inn, but the Community Phelobotomy Hub will open at Windsor House from Monday 3 February.
There is allocated parking for visitors at the front of the building, chargeable at the same rates as the Derriford Hospital main site.