Ex-miner to be guest as health centre opens

Roy Hardwick, 78, won a competition to name Askern's 4.7m surgery after he picked up a contest form when he was one of the first patients through the doors.

The former miner, who worked at the local colliery for 30 years, said he had been inspired to come up with name White Wings centre by the swans on the lake opposite the building.

He added: "As I was leaving the centre I glanced across at the lake and just at that moment a couple of swans were taking off, so I thought white wings would be a perfect name."

The competition win is the second for Mr Hardwick, who also won a contest to name Askern's Warren House Park, which was created on the site of the now demolished colliery. That name comes from the Warren House coal seam which used to be mined by Askern Colliery and other pits in the area.

Mr Hardwick will be joined at the official opening by local MP and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband along with Doncaster's civic mayor Ros Jones, who is also a local councillor.

They will all tour the centre, which has been built on the site of an old surgery, and meet staff from the two GP practices, Lakeside and Askern Medical Practice, which operate there.

Annette Laban, chief executive of NHS Doncaster, said: "This is the modern face of health care in Doncaster, underlining our commitment to create purpose-designed buildings for our communities that can deliver a wider range of quality services.

"The building has created around three times more space than was available at the previous two surgeries and pharmacy, which has enabled us to do a lot more for patient care. The White Wings Centre is also supporting the regeneration of a former mining community."

NHS Doncaster also recently started work on a new "super surgery" in Doncaster town centre and a second health centre in Conisbrough as part of plans to modernise front-line health care in the town.

The walk-in centre in Doncaster will be built on the site of the

current Trades and Labour Club, at St Sepulchre Gate.