UC will be the home of a new $15million GP super clinic that will host GPs, a pharmacy, pathology labs, radiology, psychology services and the university’s existing student-led allied health clinics, in partnership with Ochre Health.

Described by vice chancellor Prof Stephen Parker as a “health hub”, he says the university is the ideal location for the super clinic, having been recently identified as preferred site for the ACT’s new sub-acute hospital and as the home for a new National e-Health Living Laboratory.

The super clinic will be built with funding from the  Department of Health and Ageing, Health Workforce Australia and the University of Canberra and is expected to be open by 2013.

“There is huge potential in bringing together a super clinic, hospital and our own Faculty of Health on one site to create a health hub,” Prof Parker said.

“We have experience delivering health services to the community through our own clinics and we have experience delivering major building projects on time and on budget.

“This new clinic will give the University another avenue to contribute to a healthy capital. We already train a large proportion of the region’s health workforce and conduct research that leads to improved care and treatments.

“As a partner in Canberra’s new super clinic we can expand our successful student-led clinics and help tackle the workforce shortages in allied health disciplines by offering more work placements, overcoming a critical barrier to getting more health professionals into the community.”

Ochre Health’s chief operating officer John Burns said partnering with the university would be beneficial to Ochre and its clients.

“This is the first clinic in our network that will operate from a university campus. The opportunity to work with the University of Canberra to deliver health services to the community and also to make a wider contribution through research and training is very exciting,” Mr Burns said.

“Bringing together teaching, research and clinical services in the one setting, with partners willing to work together, we can deliver an excellent quality of service and training, for a better qualified workforce in the long term.”

The four-storey building, which will also include space for tenants from the health sector.