HEALTH services in Darlington are to be transformed by a £6m investment in primary care.

The last of three major building schemes planned by Darlington Primary Care Trust (PCT) has secured £3.6m in funding from the Strategic Health Authority.

By the end of next year, Darlington will have new health facilities including a walk-in centre, a rehabilitation unit for the elderly and a child health clinic.

Darlington PCT said £3.6m is to be spent rebuilding Park Place Health Centre.

Darlington PCT's head of primary care Lorraine Tostevin said: "The three centres will provide the town with unsurpassed primary care and will completely renew its key health facilities.

"As well as improving care for the town's 102,000 population, they will relieve pressure on the town's GPs and accident and emergency department, cut waiting times and help keep patients out of hospital."

Work will start soon on a two-storey facility in the car park next to the existing outdated centre. When it is completed, the old building will be knocked down and turned into a car park.

The centre will be home to a four doctor GP surgery and the police's vulnerable witness suite for victims of rape.

The community dental services will also be based there, along with a PCT salaried dentist boasting a high specification dental suite.

This will provide services to people who are not registered with a dentist or disabled people who struggle to access the town's dentists.

Family planning services will be based at Park Place and the children's focus will continue with baby clinics, mother and toddler groups, and child protection services, including a child protection nurse.

All clinical facilities will be on the ground floor to maximise access for disabled and elderly people.

Park Place is one of three health schemes to revitalise primary care services in Darlington.

In January a £1m walk-in clinic will open on the ground floor of the headquarters of Darlington PCT at Dr Piper House, in Kings Street.