Construction work on Crediton’s new medical hub began this month and was marked by a turf cutting event on site.

Leader of Mid Devon District Council, Cllr Bob Deed helped mark the moment alongside Dr Jo Harris of New Valley Practice, and Dr Peter Twomey of Chiddenbrook Surgery,Crediton. The event had to be scaled back due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The modern facility will merge the town’s two existing surgeries into one multi-purpose facility and has been led by Dr Harris and Dr Twomey.

The project will mean the GP practices will receive a £6 million long term loan from the NHS England Estates and Technology Transformation Fund (ETTF) - a national funding programme to support GP practices to make improvements to services for local patients including more modern, expanded facilities and use of new technologies.

MDDC has supported the project by providing the balance of funding to the tune of £2.2 million while the NHS fund has provided 80% of the project’s financing together.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Bob Deed said:

“We are all acutely aware of the huge importance the NHS plays in our lives and this new hub will be a vital resource to ensure the communities of Crediton and surrounding villages have access to a high-quality NHS services in a purpose-built space.

“This project really is an example of how we can work together to support a common goal - helping those who need medical assistance access it easily and locally in their own community. After 18 months of hard work behind the scenes I am delighted building work is now starting and we are all eager to see the finished building and welcome patients next year.”

The new building will have two floors and will house a number of innovative features, including 16 multi-purpose clinical rooms and eight telephone/video consultation booths that can be used by different clinicians. A double height entrance atrium will flood the building with light to promote wellbeing in staff and patients alike. The spacious waiting room will contain devices and literature to help patients get to grips with new NHS technology, fill out online consultation forms and learn more about self-care. There will also be facilities for training GPs and nurses, rooms for patient groups to meet, and additional office space and IT equipment for staff. The practice will also benefit from ample parking facilities – which the existing sites are lacking – and will be easily accessible by public transport.

Building contractor, Kier, started the construction work on the site – behind the Tesco superstore – at the beginning of October and the building is scheduled to be completed towards the end of next summer, with patients expected through the door in Autumn 2021.