'Too small 'GP surgery planning to move home

SENIOR GP SAYS MOVE WILL SOLVE ISSUES WITH ITS SIZE

- By SAM VOLPE Health Reporter

AN Ashington GP practice is planning to move to a new home on an old colliery site in the Northumberland town.

NPC Lintonville - forrmerly known as the Lintonville Medical Group prior to becoming part of the Northumbria Primary Care group - has revealed plans to ditch its current building and move to the nearby Ashington Workspace site.

The move is of just around 500m and would likely take place in 2027 once conversion work is complete.

A consultation has now opened - with a senior GP saying the move will solve problems including that the current space, which is more than 100 years old, is simply too small.

Executive GP partner Dr Janan Swinglehurst said: “Our GP practice team cares for 15,586 patients and because the building is too small, we can’t grow or offer new services.

“It also stops us from working more closely with other health, community and voluntary organisations.”

Dr Swinglehurst has worked at the practice for more than 20 years.