HEALTH chiefs have launched a new centre in Brierley Hill to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in the borough.

Set up to encourage people to have the confidence to manage and improve their own health, the new wellness centre was launched at Albion House Surgery, Brierley Hill, on Monday April 24.

Health chiefs hope the venture will help to create a culture of understanding that some common illnesses/social problems do not require medical intervention and can often be treated more quickly elsewhere or dealt with by other professionals.

To help free up GP appointments for those that really need them - the new centre will offer various alternative services to patients and the community including bereavement advice, Citizens' Advice Centre services and information from the Alzheimer’s Society.

Jacintha Hodgson, business manager at AW Surgeries, said: “Dudley Voluntary sector and Dudley & Walsall Mental Health Trust have been instrumental in pulling this project together.

"With their help we hope to build peer groups and a community around the surgery, creating somewhere for local people experiencing social issues to go, other than their GP.”

Dr Ali, GP at AW Surgeries, said: "We know the wellness of our patients depends on not only their physical health, but also their mental health and sense of community.

"We are really lucky in Brierley Hill to be blessed with such a diverse community, including a wealth of experience from the voluntary sector.

"Albion Street boasts not only a brilliant GP surgery and Dudley CVS, but also pharmacies, a church, a Kingdom Hall and a mosque. We hope that by combining the expertise and spirit of all these ventures, we can improve the health of our patients, starting with our Wellness Centre Project.”