Dartmouth’s new Health and Wellbeing Centre has been officially opened and the new King Charles III would be “delighted” to hear it, says the Lord Lieutenant of Devon, David Fursdon.

More than 150 guests were invited to opening ceremony of the purpose-built £4.8 million centre.

The aim of the state-of-the-art complex is to bring many local health services together under one roof including Dartmouth Medical Practice, and the services currently provided at Dartmouth Clinic.

Volunteer groups will also be housed there including Dartmouth Caring.

HM Lord Lieutenant of Devon, who formally represents the King, officially opened the new centre based on part of the overflow park and ride car park.

He said: “I am asked from time to time to report back what is happening in Devon when I meet The King, and it’s great to be able to give him good news stories.

“This is the sort of good news story that he would be delighted to know about.”

Mr Fursdon also praised the volunteers who are involved in the health and wellbeing of Dartmouth residents. “At the time of the coronation we are seeing subtle changes in the way in which the monarch’s aims are portrayed and obviously it is my role to try and put those into practice.

“One of the main themes of the coronation is volunteering.

“The essential building blocks on which communities are built is volunteering.

“It’s lovely to see Dartmouth Caring as part of this process here in this building.”

Unveiling the plaque, Mr Fursdon added: “It’s no mean feat to put a building like this together in 18 months, and to do so as well as I have seen today.”

Sir Richard Ibbotson, trust chairman, said he was “really proud to be bringing health and social care together,” adding: “This trust is an integrated care organisation, our aim is to move things close together so that as patients we only tell our story once, so that various elements of the delivery of health and social care can work together more seamlessly than perhaps the NHS has managed hitherto.

“This building is the first that has been designed to deliver health and social care in that way.

“We have got great hopes for it and we will be learning, as will others, how health and social care is delivered as this building matures.”