A £160,000 health centre extension was formally opened by Vale of York MP Anne McIntosh yesterday.

The property, a former house, in Chapel Street, Thirsk, has been transformed into offices for staff from Thirsk Health Centre.

It transferred to the ownership of Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) on the dissolution of Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust in 2002.

The building was declared a health and safety risk due to its dilapidated state and the PCT considered selling it and buying more suitable premises.

A feasibility study was undertaken in April 2004 and a team of consulting engineers were brought in to carry out a structural report on the building.

They recommended a complete refurbishment programme.

Work started in March last year and took eight months to complete.

At yesterday's opening ceremony, Miss McIntosh said: "I am delighted to have the opportunity to open this new health care unit, especially in light of also having recently opened the palliative care unit at the Lambert Hospital in December.

"In an age of increasing deficit within the NHS, it gives hope to see the hard work of local health workers pay off in the form of this fantastic new facility.

"The cost of the refurbishment was £160,000 and, wherever possible, the PCT chose to engage local service providers to work on the project."

Before the repair work was carried out, the property housed just the mental health southern sector adult and older persons team.

They have now been joined by the school health team and district nursing team, freeing up extra space in the health centre.

This space is now being used as additional consulting rooms.

Marion Beagrie, head of occupational therapy at the PCT, said: "It will benefit all the people who will use the services.

"It gives us a better arrangement of the services as before they were all in different buildings.

"So it means we now have a proper base for our services and this means we can provide a better service for our patients."