Final approval has been announced today for £11.5m to build two new health centres in Ancoats and Cheetham as part of the ongoing LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) programmed to reform primary care health services in Manchester, Salford and Trafford

The funding will be provided by ExcellCare, a joint venture between Equion, a division of John Laing plc and Bank of Scotland. The centres will be managed and staffed by North Manchester Primary Care Trust and will improve access to health and social services in the area.

The Manchester, Salford and Trafford (MaST) LIFT project exists to improve the primary care estate and access to health and social services in the area. This latest phase with the two new healthcare facilities is in addition to the seven primary healthcare centres already being built or recently completed.

The construction of the health centres will commence by construction and development partner Laing O'Rourke early within the next 10 weeks (after site clearance and preparation works) and will be complete by late 2007. Both will provide general practice and new and innovative primary care services which will be flexible to the needs of the local community over the coming years.

The centre in Ancoats will be a keystone to the sustainability of the physical and social regeneration of the area. The development has been assisted by English Partnerships, Urban Splash and Manchester City Council and on completion will form part of the infrastructure for the 'New Islington Millennium Community'. The new facility will replace the current Ancoats clinic and will bring together two of the area's key GP practices. Additional services will include minor injuries, drug services, family planning, podiatry, mental health services and a pharmacy.

The Cheetham centre is an improved modernised building in line with other developments in the area, bringing in two mainstream general practices, a treatment room, podiatry, family planning services, speech and language therapy, dietetics, orthoptic and paediatric services and a new pharmacy.

John Cassidy, Chief Executive of ExcellCare, commented: 'This is an important continuation of the development for the MaST LIFT scheme and for the communities that it is helping to transform. These additional two healthcare facilities will, I am sure, become real assets to local residents, and we look forward to welcoming the people of Ancoats and Cheetham to their new centres'.

Jo Purcell, Director of Health Development for North Manchester Primary Care Trust added "These are exciting developments for local people and will provide not only much needed new facilities for the existing health services but also the opportunity to develop further services and resources. The development of new purpose built premises will ensure we can deliver the highest standard of medical practice in Ancoats and Cheetham".