Surgery in Yate prepares for move to new multi-million pound home (From Gazette Series)

Surgery in Yate prepares for move to new multi-million pound home

8:30am Wednesday 3rd March 2010

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)

A DOCTORS’ surgery in Yate is preparing to move into a new multi-million pound home next week.

Staff at West Walk Surgery have been treating patients in temporary offices for the past two years but on Monday (March 8) they will finally start handing out medicine from within the new West Gate Health Centre.

Managing partner Martin Wilkes said: "We are really looking forward to moving into the new building, it will be a massive improvement.

"Although the cabins have served us well and were a vast improvement on the previous building, we appreciate it has still not been ideal."

West Walk Surgery first opened its doors in 1970 after doctors working from home realised the need for better health provision.

Kennedy Way and Courtside surgeries shared the building but as Yate’s population grew they both moved into their own premises.

In recent years, the surgery has become unfit for purpose and doctors decided to build a new practice. Although they looked at building on the overflow car park on Link Road an agreement was eventually reached with NHS South Gloucestershire to lease part of a new health centre on the site of the former surgery.

"The old building was cramped, the ceiling tiles were coming down and when it rained it dripped," said Mr Wilkes.

"In the end it was because of money that we decided to build on our former site."

As well as West Walk Surgery, the £12million three-storey centre will house a minor injuries unit, X-ray facilities, children’s services run by South Gloucestershire Council, physiotherapy and midwifery services.

The surgery, which has 13,000 patients on its register, will have four treatment rooms and 11 consulting rooms.

Mr Wilkes said: "We will have our own dedicated reception area which we did not before, a call screen, and a new phone system.

"Importantly, there will be a GP’s office where doctors can work together and share information.

"It will be much better than what we have had and better than most other surgeries."

However, Mr Wilkes said the surgery was disappointed to be on the first floor of the new building and at the lack of parking spaces outside the new health centre.

West Walk Surgery will operate emergency-only services tomorrow (Friday, March 5) and Frendoc will run as normal over the weekend. Normal services resume on Monday from the new building.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(0)