Work begins on 8,600 sq ft GP surgery

Work on a new medical centre for almost 8,000 patients in the Derbyshire Dales is officially underway.

Construction of the new premises for Darley Dale Medical Centre has begun to create space for the practice GPs and for the Jayne A Hibbard Pharmacy, which will also move into the building next year.

The build, which is expected to run until next October, will create almost 800 sq m of primary care space for the practice including light and airy waiting areas and rooms for consulting, treatment, training and new attached services.

The £2.2m project is being funded by Warrington-based primary care property specialist Assura and delivered by GP premises experts MedCentres.

Dr Jonathan Smith, senior partner at Darley Dale Medical Centre, said: “We’re delighted to be moving to spacious, modern GP premises. Our new building will allow us to expand our range of services and increase our number of clinicians to keep pace with the increasing number of patients, from both Darley Dale and beyond, who are joining our practice.”

Dr Chris Clayton, chief executive officer of Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Groups, added: “General practice plays an important and crucial role, providing high-quality care to millions of patients every day and so we welcome the investment Darley Dale Medical Centre is making with their new premises in anticipation of future demand. Their investment is testament to their commitment to improving access to GP services and to increasing the range of services they can offer to help support patients to manage their conditions effectively in a community setting.”

Assura’s senior development manager, Simon Gould said: “It’s always so exciting to see a new GP surgery building begin to take shape – this is about creating the healthcare spaces of the future. With so much NHS focus on primary care we need to give GPs every support to ensure they have the spaces they need, in the right places for patients.”