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Work on new GP surgery 'could begin by Christmas'

John Fairhall/BBC Ed Garrett, a man with short light brown hair wearing a shirt and tie. He is looking into the camera. John Fairhall/BBC
Ed Garrett, chief executive of the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), said he hoped work on the new surgery would begin by Christmas

An NHS boss said he hoped to see "spades in the ground" on a new GP surgery by Christmas.

Ed Garrett, chief executive of the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), said plans for an "additional estate" in Ipswich were being explored.

He told the BBC the new complex would be delivered for patients of Cardinal Medical Practice.

"You're thinking along the right lines," he said, when pressed on whether the NHS would buy and convert an existing building into a new health centre.

"We've got to get through the various stages we need to get through, but I want to see spades in the ground by Christmas this year."

Mr Garrett was speaking after residents were left aggrieved by the decision to no longer build a so-called "super surgery" at the former Tooks Bakery site in the north-west of the town.

"I want to issue a sincere apologise to the people of north Ipswich but we are determined to deliver a Plan B and are moving forward," he added.

John Fairhall/BBC A man with short black hair wearing glasses and a dark blazer and jumper over a light blue shirt. John Fairhall/BBC
Patrick Spencer, MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, says he is fighting for the town to get a new GP surgery

Patrick Spencer, Conservative MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, told the BBC Ipswich could have a new surgery soon, but moved to manage the expectations of constituents.

"I can't sit here and guarantee the ideal outcome will be delivered when we want it to be delivered but I will do absolutely everything I can," he said.

"We have a plan in place to ensure we solve this problem and I promise that I am on it – it is the most important thing going on."

John Fairhall/BBC A woman with shoulder-length light purple hair and glasses. She is smiling into the camera.John Fairhall/BBC
Resident Barbara Bedford was upset over the decision to axe plans for a "super surgery"
John Fairhall/BBC A man with short black hair and grey facial hair. He is smiling into the camera.John Fairhall/BBC
Lucky Singh does not believe there are enough GP surgeries to cope with the number of people living in Ipswich

That sentiment was echoed by residents including Barbara Bedford, who was left "very disappointed" by the decision to shelve plans for the multimillion-pound surgery.

"I have been struggling for a long time [to get appointments] and that would have helped so many people – it's sad, it really is sad," she said.

Lucky Singh, 60, was worried that building extra homes in the area would increase pressure on local GP services.

"The system is broken but we are building all these new houses and we have no surgeries, so where are they going to go?," he said.

"North-west Ipswich is already at breaking point and somewhere down the line it is going to break."

Ipswich Borough Council An image showing what the £7.75m complex could have looked like if built, with black metal cladding and a big window on the first floor. Ipswich Borough Council
The scrapped "super surgery" would have become one of the largest in the Ipswich area
John Fairhall/BBC A woman with shoulder-length black hair. She has a purple lanyard around her neck. She is looking into the camera. John Fairhall/BBC
Councillor Sam Murray says the health of residents must be a priority

Sam Murray, Conservative Ipswich borough councillor for Castle Hill and Suffolk county councillor for Whitehouse and Whitton, said: "We are seeing large housing developments on the outskirts and we already don't have the infrastructure.

"There's only so much the residents of Ipswich as a whole can take and this really needs to be considered.

"The health of our residents has to come first."

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