Thousands of patients are set to benefit from new and improved facilities after our transformation of an old school building into a purpose built, modern GP practice near Colchester.
Wivenhoe Surgery has opened its doors to patients in the former Philip Road Primary School building following a full refurbishment to create the specialist space for which the practice has planned over many years.
The £1.5m overhaul, funded by us and delivered by our partners Ashley House, has created more than 600m2 of space for consulting and treatment rooms as well as light and airy reception and waiting areas, serving more than 8,000 patients. The site now boasts additional clinical rooms allowing the practice to recruit more clinicians, making services more accessible.
There is more car parking space for patients, additional designated drop off zones and good access for emergency vehicles.
It also offers opportunities for additional local NHS healthcare providers to deliver services there.
Practice partner Dr Andrew Cope says: “We are delighted that our fully refurbished premises are complete – it marks a significant milestone for the practice and also for the local people we service. These premises will help us deliver even higher-quality care and services and because we have more space available to us within the building, we will be able to provide more services from within the practice to our local community.”
Over the past year, staff at the practice have worked closely with Ashley House to ensure the design and development of the building meets the standards required for modern primary care practice.
Zoe Cronin, Practice Manager, said: “We have worked on achieving new premises for our patients for the last 12 years so it is a tremendous achievement. We hope our patients will find the experience of accessing services at our new building much easier.”
Our Senior Development Manager, Andrew Cooper, says: “This move has been a long time coming for Wivenhoe’s GPs and we’re delighted to see them moving into the modern space they’ve been waiting for. This is a challenge facing so many practices around the country and this is a great example of how existing buildings can, with the right support and skills, play an important role in creating better infrastructure for primary care.”
Sam Hepplewhite, Chief Officer at the North East Essex CCG, said: “I am delighted with the opening of this new building. It marks the end of a lot of hard work and very much supports the local system’s plans to provide services in the community, closer to people’s homes.”
Kerry Harding, Head of Estates for NHS England Midlands and East (East) said: “It’s fantastic to see the practice, the NHS and the local authority work together for the benefit of Wivenhoe surgery’s patients. This new facility will ensure patients have access to high quality primary care services in a modern, purpose-built setting that is fit for the future.”