SUPPORTING GP PRACTICE WITH FUTURE ESTATES PLANS

A Driffield GP practice is taking steps to future-proof services for patients and potentially extend current space.

The Medical Centre has 10,800 patients and 40 staff split across two opposite buildings in the town and is looking at whether the space it has for patients and services is enough.

A local care operator, which is building a care home on the site of a former shopping centre on the land, has proposed to convert a building adjacent to the Medical Centre to increase the space to 1,200sq m and add additional parking spaces.

Shared Agenda has been commissioned to develop an outline business case to assess whether there is a requirement to extend the practice’s current facilities, assessing the most economical and feasible option, as well as understanding and analysing data on staff and current room requirements.

Neil Folwell, GP Partner at The Medical Centre, said: “We’re quite reluctant to sell the properties and we need more space. We’re great for transport links and we’re close to all local chemists.

“The care home operator has suggested this option as part of the development of the land and Shared Agenda is looking at this for us, as well as other potential options to assess what is best value and the best way forward for patients.

“We want to future-proof services for local patients and ensure that we follow the best option.

“Shared Agenda are very professional and it has been a smooth process so far.”

David Barley, Development Manager at Shared Agenda, said: “Our involvement came from a referral based on the work we’ve done on the planned West Hull Health Hub. We helped to develop that business case and get it to a live scheme. We’re delighted to work across both Hull and the East Riding.”

The outline business case is expected to be completed by the end of the year.