Whitchurch GP 'super surgery' could be built by 2019

A total of £1 million has already been raised for the surgery which will replace the temporary one currently operating from Beech Ward at Whitchurch Community Hospital.

The temporary surgery took on 4,000 patients from the Richmond House practice, which controversially closed last year.

The new super surgery would also see patients from the town's two other surgeries, Dodington and Bridgwater, moved there.

Peter James, who is part of a group working on the new surgery, said they were around a third of the way to finding the funding for it.

He said: "Work has been extensive. Shropdoc is nine months into a 36 months contract at the Beech Ward but it is on an 18-month review. That is still ongoing.

"Part of the issue is what type of contract the CCG awards the doctors, but our group is trying to find new premises. Bridgewater and Dodington are both full - you can't squeeze more in.

"We had a business plan and we bid for £2.789 million for a new build.

"The group won £1 million but NHS England said a business plan needs to be precise with everything detailed. The group is working hard to secure private funding. We are happy to accept donations and partners.

"We are confident it is going ahead and we are looking at May/June 2019 for a three-surgery health centre but at the moment can't reveal the location."

The uncertainty over where the patients would end up after Richmond House surgery closed had been criticised by patients, who complained they were being kept in the dark about the future of GP services.

Julian Povey, chairman of Shropshire CCG, said: "We are working alongside a variety of stakeholders and partners to ensure that Whitchurch patients continue to receive high quality GP services."

Richard Caddy, communications manager for Shropshire CCG, added: "Shropshire CCG is working with stakeholders towards securing the future of primary care provision in Whitchurch. However we are still at an early stage of the planning and formal approval process."

It comes after it was revealed that a multi-million pound surgery could be built in Shrewsbury.

Riverside Medical Practice has been searching for years to move from its current site and the proposed new medical site is less than 200 metres away from Riverside’s current location and will include provision for an on-site pharmacy and improved disabled access.

It will serve more than 10,000 patients, which are on the surgery's books.