Work under way on new £5m GP practice to serve town's growing population
Work has begun on a much-needed GP practice in Shifnal to address the 'rapidly expanding' population of the town, health officials have said.
Regional contractor Speller Metcalfe has today announced that work is under way on the new Shifnal and Priorslee Medical Practice just off Haughton Road, Shifnal.
The new project, supported by NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group, will see 13 consultant, office and treatment rooms included in the works, as well as a multidisciplinary team.
The medical facility will form part of Teldoc – an overarching 'super surgery' incorporating medical centres across Telford – and will house a number of healthcare specialists, doctors’ offices and a dentist for the community.
Dr Rashpal Bhachu, vice-chairman and director of operations at Teldoc said: “We are excited to see the plans for this medical centre come to fruition.
"The residents of Shifnal and the expanding population are long overdue a purpose-built, future-proof facility and we’re glad that the team are now on site. We look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead.”
With the population of Shifnal 'rapidly expanding', the facility is being constructed to meet the needs of the growing community by including extended opening hours, increasing the range of integrated services and the number of appointments available.
A total of 58 car parking spaces will be created to cater for the 15,000 patients that the medical practice is anticipated to serve, with additional overhead for future growth.
Also included in the plans are hedgehog holes, bird and bat boxes, with further sustainability measures including the installation of PV roof panels so that the centre can use solar energy to offset the use of traditional gas and electric, as well as buried drainage tanks to ensure ground water does not flood the area in heavy rain conditions.
The building has been designed by Bundred and Goode Architects on behalf of Aequitas Shifnal Limited.
Rob Lashford, divisional director at Speller Metcalfe, said: “The new medical centre is a significant investment into the town and we’re looking forward to furthering our relationship with the NHS.
“For Speller Metcalfe, healthcare provision is something we are passionate about, and we have worked on a number of projects that seek to expand and improve facilities for a wide range of communities.
"This project in Shropshire is no different, and we’re happy to be making headway.”
The medical centre is set to open to the public in late 2023.
