A STATE-of-the-art health centre that has changed part of the city centre skyline has been officially opened.

Wilberforce Health Centre first opened its doors to patients in December when a range of health teams started to move in.

The £16.5 million base in Story Street is expected to see 60,000 patients every year and brings together health and other services under one roof.

Now, the building has been declared officially open. Hull West and Hessle MP Alan Johnson cut the ribbon to mark the occasion.

Mr Johnson said the site, where the former Grattan department store previously stood, is now a focal point in the community.

He said: "This is a day when we can really be proud of what everyone has achieved together.

"It was a heavily bombed part of Hull and it was never restored to the vibrant community it was before the war.

"People are now encouraged to walk through and it's a genuine part of the local community.

"I'm immensely proud."

The health centre is open every day from 8am to 8pm and includes GPs, healthy living advice, a walk-in centre, café and other services.

It is the tenth to be delivered by Citycare – the partnership between NHS Hull, the city's primary care trust, and the Sewell Group – under Hull's Local Improvement Finance Trust (Lift) programme.

Citycare chief executive Jo Barnes said: "I'm really proud of what the team have achieved here. It is phenomenal.

"I'm hopeful this is the first of many developments in Albion Square."

The centre also has environmentally-friendly features, including solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system.

Dr Tony Banerjee, chair of Hull's GP Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "It's a fantastic state-of-the-art facility.

"It makes for a really good step forward in trying to get a one-stop-shop for people's health problems.

"People deserve to receive their healthcare in first class surroundings, which have been designed with them in mind."