Felixstowe mayor Corrine Franklin and Dr Paul Driscoll, a partner at Haven Health in Grange Farm Avenue, Felixstowe cut the ribbon to launch the reconfigured healthcare facility, following a project costing £630,000.
Suffolk Primary Care (SPC), which runs the surgery, has built two small extensions and reworked the internal space to create five additional consulting rooms, bringing the total number to 17.
READ MORE: Suffolk surgery to expand to cope with growing population
Dr Driscoll said: “We are delighted that work on this important extension is now complete.
“The funding we received has given us a valuable opportunity to reconfigure the building so that it works more effectively for our patients, while the extra space will also mean we will be able to host additional services.
“The expansion will allow us to offer more medical students the opportunity to gain experience in general practice, as well as chances for staff in other roles to further develop.
Haven Health in Grange Farm Avenue has been expanded (Image: Submitted) “Importantly, it will also ensure we can continue to meet future demand and offer high quality, accessible services to our patients as the population of Felixstowe increases.”
When plans were submitted for the developments to East Suffolk Council, the applicant’s agent Peter Wells Architects revealed there had been an increase of 3,000 homes in the Felixstowe area, creating an increase in demand.
Additionally, Haven Health had taken on 1,000 new patients following the closure of nearby Walton Surgery in 2020, bringing the total on the books to 8,500.
READ MORE: Felixstowe and Halesworth GP surgeries given funds to expand
Funding for the project came from the council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), a charge levied on developments to fund infrastructure improvements.
Councillor Mark Packard, East Suffolk Council’s cabinet member for planning and coastal management, said he was “pleased” to see the expansion reach completion.
He said: “This is an example of reinvesting developer contributions into a worthwhile infrastructure project that improves the health and wellbeing of the community.”
Caroline Procter, deputy director of primary medical care at NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, which plans and buys health services, said: “It is fantastic that the work is now complete and we are grateful to everyone involved for making it happen.
“Haven Health is such an important part of the Felixstowe community and the extension work will bring many positive benefits to patients and help future-proof primary care services for the growing population.”