Three Plymouth GP practices consider a move to proposed new West End Health and Wellbeing Centre Patients at three GP practices in Plymouth are being asked to share their views on a possible move to a new health and wellbeing centre in the city’s West End.
North Road West Medical Centre, Adelaide Surgery and Armada Surgery want to relocate to the planned West End Health and Wellbeing Centre and are keen to know what their patients think to help shape their plans.
Plymouth City Council and NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are working on plans for a new, purpose-built health, care and wellbeing centre in the West End, in the vicinity of Colin Campbell Court.
The centre would include a range of services all under one roof in a convenient location. The new building would not only provide a much-needed modern health and wellbeing facility, but it would also help kick-start the regeneration of the area.
The practices are all currently located in outdated premises and say moving to a bright, modern and purpose-built facility would help secure their long-term future. They have been struggling with the increasingly complex needs of a growing population and increased demand for their services. Existing sites don’t have enough space to accommodate services for rising numbers of patients and have limited space for office staff.
Dr Carmel Boyhan-Irvine, GP partner at North Road West Medical Practice said: “We want to improve the service that we provide to our patients by relocating to a modern healthcare facility that is better suited to meet their needs. We are delighted that we have to opportunity to be part of plans for this exciting Plymouth facility.
“A bigger building would result in additional space for more staff, which in turn would mean more
available appointments and shorter waiting times.
“Our vision is to provide an attractive and pleasant environment for patients and staff. We have recently recruited more people to our team and we want to retain them, creating a stronger team for the future and ensuring patients continue to receive a high-quality safe service.”
The engagement process with practice patients runs from Friday 30 July to Thursday 16 September 2021 and follows a recent public engagement programme run by the NHS and Plymouth City Council about what services people would like to see in the building.
Dr Richard Ayres, GP at Adelaide Surgery, added: “Our current premises are no longer fit for purpose and this is a great opportunity for not just a better staff environment but a better service for our patients. We can do much more clinically and it would be a much smarter environment that can provide more joined-up health and care services that would benefit the local population.”
The practices are keen to continue to expand and develop the range of services to their patients and to provide a full range of primary care services, with additional consulting rooms, pharmacists, physiotherapists, training rooms, research space, and space for admin needed to deliver these services.
Wendy Ellis, practice manager at Armada Surgery, said: “Like many parts of the country, recruiting new GPs and clinical staff can be a challenge, and working from a modern facility would enable us to attract more interest and recruit to vacancies more effectively. I know all the practices involved are looking forward to hearing what patients have to say about these exciting plans.”
All the practices have written to their patients asking them to share their views on the proposal and are offering to respond to any queries or concerns they may have. The practices will also be engaging with their patient participation groups and other partners.
The Colin Campbell Court area would offer patients excellent access to public transport and local car parks are within walking distance.
Patients are encouraged to complete the feedback survey, which can be accessed via each practice’s website or by clicking here. You can also pick up a paper copy of the survey at each practice.
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