Wirral householders to have their say on plans for a ‘super surgery’ in Heswall

Jul 30 2008 by Sue McCann, Hoylake and West Kirby News

PLANS to build a “super surgery” in the heart of Heswall are to be shown to neighbours and patients.

Wirral Primary Care Trust plans to flatten the existing surgery in Telegraph Road. In place of the single-storey building will be a three-storey complex uniting Heswall Medical Centre, Heswall Clinic and Pensby Surgery.

Doctors and staff at the practice and the PCT say the new plans – which will go on public view from August 5 – will allow the surgery to develop and expand its range of health services and take on more minor surgery.

A consultation document delivered this week said: “The practice has outgrown both our existing premises and this severely restricts the development of services we would like to provide for our patients.

“The proposed building will eliminate many of the problems faced at both sites, including providing disabled access.”

However, during the construction period the site would have to be vacated for 12 to 15 months. The GP surgery and the clinic would shift to temporary accommodation on the Royal British Legion site at Pensby Road, Heswall.

These plans come after an outcry met West Wirral General Practice’s proposals to combine three doctors’ surgeries on the former Warrens Nursery site.

The backlash led to Wirral Council’s planning committee turning down their application as there were no necessary special circumstances for encroachment into Green Belt.

But Heswall Medical Centre’s plans avoid this by re-using their existing site.

Heswall councillor Les Rowlands said that, while he was pleased this plan would keep a surgery in the town, there was still some distrust of the super surgery plan.

He said: “It is always going to be harder to see your GP in a super surgery.”