Super-surgery bid put forward for Shrewsbury
A multi-million pound surgery could be built in Shrewsbury after plans were submitted. Riverside Medical Practice – the largest in the town – has been searching for a number of years for land to move to from its cramped surgery in Roushill.
The practice has more than 10,000 patients on its books. Last December, practice bosses revealed they had earmarked a new site at Raven Meadows from where they would be able to offer enhanced services.
The move has become evident due to the growing population of the town. The proposed centre is less than 200 metres away from Riverside’s current location and would include provision for an on-site pharmacy and improved disabled access.
Under detailed plans lodged with Shropshire Council this week by Matrix Medical, working on behalf of the practice, the new surgery would be spread over four floors.
In a design and access statement, the architects say: “The key objectives of the scheme are to replace an out-of-date health centre in Shrewsbury which, due to the existing site constraints, is neither capable of meeting current primary care needs nor the latest NHS standards.
“And to provide the potential for a wide range of additional healthcare facilities to the patients of the existing surgery which cannot be offered at present due to limitations of the existing surgery building.”
They add that the new surgery would be a high quality, well located facility, which the local community would be proud of. There would also be space within the building to expand over the next 25 years and beyond.
The ground floor lobby would have a main staircase and lift to upper floors. Patients would enter from the street into a lobbied staircase and ascend to the first floor where the main patient reception and waiting area for the clinical services would be located together with the pharmacy.
An interview room is next to reception which would allow any distressed patients to sit out of the main waiting area. It would also be used to isolate any patient suspected of having a communicable medical condition.
Patients would be directed to the upper floors and a treatment suite on the second floor would allow for minor clinical procedures to be undertaken under local anaesthetic. This would relieve pressure within the acute services at local hospitals. Visiting surgeons would where possible be able to offer patients operations within their own surgery rather than having to travel long distances to larger hospitals.
