Building Size:
749 sq. mtrs

Start date:
25th August 2011

Completion date:
13th July 2012

Project Status:
On Site

On-site, Essex, Doddinghurst Surgery

Project brief:
The Doddinghurst practice was originally started in 1960 by Dr Adam Upjohn and his wife and served a population of c400 patients. In 1963 they built the existing surgery as an extension to their house. Following several extensions over the years in order to try to meet the needs of modern healthcare in the community, the resulting single storey building had spread across the whole site and was now unsuitable for any further development.  The surgery building had become severely cramped with the range of services the practice could offer extremely restricted.  The only long term solution was to relocate the practice to new purpose built premises which would allow them to take on an additional doctor and two GP registrars. 

Project solution:
The completed building will enable the existing practice, located just around the corner from the new site in premises deemed not fit for purpose, to relocate to the new healthcare facility.  This is seen as a wonderful opportunity for the GPs and staff to provide better access and a wider range of services, thus improving quality of care.

Ashley House plc has designed a building that will provide a modern, efficient and pleasant environment for patients to visit and staff to work within. The new development will provide the necessary infrastructure to deliver the best possible primary and social care services for many years to come.

Points of interest:
The Doddinghurst Surgery is one of the few training practices in South West Essex PCT and has 4 full time GPs serving over 8,700 patients, equating to 2,175 patients per full time GP. The practice area covers 30 square miles of semi-rural Essex, an area not covered by any other practice.

"We would like to thank the overwhelming majority of our patients who have been so supportive of our plans and Ashley House who have worked tirelessly with us since 2004 to help us realise our dreams. This fantastic new surgery will enable us to provide the highest standard of medical care to our patients and future generations while maintaining the family orientated personal care which we believe our patients value."
 
Dr Nigel Butler, Senior Partner, Doddinghurst Surgery