A major refurbishment project at the Fiennes Centre on the Horton Hospital site in Banbury has just been completed. The work saw the creation of a brand-new entrance, reception and a waiting area for the urgent care centre and GP out-of-hours service, along with new clinic rooms and staff facilities. In total, some £660,000 has been invested in the building.

The recent work on refurbishing the Fiennes started in December 2025 and was carried out in phases over the following five months, allowing patient services to continue with the least disruption as possible being caused whilst different parts of the building were being upgraded.

New facilities created at the Fiennes

The creation of a new reception and waiting room brings together the urgent care centre – which is run by Principal Medical Limited (PML, a local GP run not-for-profit organisation) – and Oxford Health’s GP out-of-hours service into a dedicated light, bright and open space.  This is a big improvement, as it helps ensure that people are able to wait to be seen in comfortable surroundings, with a separate corner space just for children.

Lunchtime event held for staff to mark project’s completion

At a lunchtime event held for staff on 21 May 2026, the end of the project was marked by a ribbon cutting event hosted by Oxford Health’s chief operating officer for community health services, dentistry and primary care, Emma Leaver.

Commenting on the successful completion of the project, Ms Leaver said:

“Working to reshape a building that is also used 24 hours a day, every day of the week to care and treat patients is a really big challenge. I am so grateful to all of our staff – from both Oxford Health and PML teams – for not just putting up with the disruption caused, but also engaging with our project team to ensure that all of the work involved happened as smoothly as possible. The Fiennes is now such a welcoming environment with more flexible clinical space in which to look after our patients and their carers. It is a real asset for the local community.

“As with any new building or renovation project, we are now focussing on how best to use the space most effectively.  This means that we will continue to keep the building and its use under review, welcoming feedback from staff and patients alike.”

Services provided at the Fiennes

The services provided at the Fiennes, includes an urgent care centre, GP out-of-hours service, along with a range of outpatient services – including podiatry – and a base for teams like district nursing.