Sherston moves step closer to new GP surgery
The Integrated Care Board has agreed to support development of a new site
More GP appointments and extra services could be on their way to Sherston as funding for a new surgery has been secured.
It's a significant breakthrough for local people after years of campaigning for a new building, with the lease on the Tolsey Surgery facility due to expire next year.
Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Integrated Care Board (ICB) has agreed to support the project with up to £88,000 per year for the development.
Wiltshire Councillor for Sherston, Martin Smith, said it's a significant step forwards.
"We always knew we needed the ICB's agreement to lease any new building," he said. "They've also agreed a building that will be bigger than the current building, which as anybody that uses it know, it's not really fit for purpose anymore.
"It's a very old building, quite cramped and doesn't really meet the needs of modern healthcare standards."
Work of local people praised
MP for Sherston, Dr Roz Savage said she understood how tough it was for the ICB to allocate the funding, considering funding across the public sector is so stretched at the moment.
She hailed the efforts of locals for continuing to press for the new site, which included 2,000 signatures on a petition the Lib Dem MP led.
"Although there's still a long way to go, this is the biggest hurdle cleared and it's a sign of real progress and it's been made possible by the Sherston community really coming together, which is just fantastic to see," she said.
Dr Savage added: "This opens up some real opportunities to expand both capacity and the range of services that are available locally.
"I really hope that this is going to translate into more appointments for patients. alongside the potential to introduce additional services to better meet the needs of the community, which could be preventative care, specialist clinics or space for visiting health professionals."
What is left to do?
Wiltshire Council will now take on the process of finding a developer and securing land, before planning permission is applied for and construction can begin.
It is hoped that the new building can be open before the current site's lease ends, and while Cllr Smith admitted that he isn't wholly confident that it will be, considering all the requirements that remain to be completed, he is hopeful of an arrangement being struck to continue using the Tolsey Surgery facility until the new build is ready.