'Creaking' surgery eyes new site in two years

An MP has said a town's under pressure GP surgery could have new premises by 2027.

Woodstock Surgery has been in its current building since the 1960s but its GPs say it is not sustainable due to the amount of patients.

Last July they warned of an "impending crisis" in the face of 600 new homes planned for the area.

Callum Miller, MP for Bicester and Woodstock, said a meeting of stakeholders took place last month and two new sites had been identified for a possible replacement.

Earlier this week he raised the issue in the House of Commons with the Health Secretary, describing how part of the surgery's roof collapsed during heavy rain in September and how a nurse was having to see patients in a "broom cupboard".

One potential site is in Banbury Road, which already has planning permission for a residential development, part of which could be re-allocated to a surgery.

Another location could be to the east of Park View.

Blenheim Estates has paid for a consultant to look at their suitability ahead of an official proposal, which will then be reviewed by health bosses.

Mr Miller told the BBC specifications for the new building had been developed and he was working to have a proposal by the summer.

"If we can achieve that goal and line up the money we could be looking at something hopefully within two years from then," he said.

He added he was "really determined" residents "shouldn't wait any longer for the surgery they've been needing for a long time".

Surgery GP Dr Duncan Becker told the BBC: "Currently we've got no space to employ new doctors, so we really are at capacity.

"We're working as smartly as we can to see as many people as we can and do as much work as we can, but we're creaking at the seams...

"This is urgent. New houses are going up all the time, our patient list is currently bigger than it's ever been, and the patients we're looking after are more complex than in previous times."

He said if no solution presented itself the partners would be forced to apply to close its practice lists, meaning people moving into the area would need to find a GP elsewhere.

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