AN ‘aggressive’ search has been taking place to identify a location for a new health hub in the south of the town.

Warrington Together programme director Simon Kenton highlighted integrated community teams during Monday’s virtual health scrutiny committee meeting.

He said members will be aware that they are already in operation in Orford and Great Sankey.

“We are working hard to learn the lessons of Covid to see how we can work more remotely and to share information more remotely,” he added.

An integrated care hub allows various health professionals to work together – which can allow for health, social care and community organisations to work side by side.

Cllr Ian Marks, a former council leader, thanked Mr Kenton for the update but pressed him on when a new facility in the south could be delivered.

He said: “You mentioned that the two integrated hubs are up and running at Orford and Great Sankey and I know that in the east I think, sort of, things are happening.

“We’ve had this discussion before about the south and where it might be – now I realise obviously times have been difficult in recent months, but have we made any more progress on the east and obviously on the south, which is obviously of interest to myself?”

Mr Kenton said: “We’ve identified a number of sites. Our principles are to work outside of traditional NHS or social care environments so we are looking at Broomfields.

“But we are also, I guess would say, aggressively looking at other sites in the south but we have been unsuccessful, I think, at this time but we are still looking.”

Committee chair Cllr Paul Warburton (LAB – Chapelford and Old Hall) asked Mr Kenton if he had a date of when may have a hub in the south.

In response, he said not at the moment and stated it has been a ‘particular difficulty’ in the south.