Plans for new Ipswich surgery still awaiting NHS approval

It is understood that officials at Suffolk and North East Essex NHS Integrated Care Board are concerned that the costs of building and maintaining the new building have gone up so much it can no longer be afforded in the form it was planned.

The new surgery is due to be built on the junction of Bury Road and Old Norwich Road on the edge of Ipswich for the Cardinal Medical Practice.

At present the Cardinal Medical Practice runs surgeries in Norwich Road and Chesterfield Road and is administered from the former Deben Road Surgery - but that has always been seen as a temporary arrangement.

Chesterfield Drive surgery would be replaced by the new centre. (Image: newsquest)

Proposals to build the new super surgery were first unveiled in 2017 as part of Ipswich council's development of the former Tooks Bakery site.

The Cardinal Medical Practice was formed a few years later after the near-collapse of GP surgeries in one part of the area - but it has always struggled to find an identity being split between three sites.

Last month it finished well down the league table for patient satisfaction in a report from the Care Quality Commission.

The proposal was that the borough would build and own the the surgery with the NHS being its tenant.

Planning permission was approved in principle by councillors last year with officers given permission to finally sign it off after final details were agreed with NHS officials.

And the borough was ready to go out to tender to find a contractor to build the surgery.  Work was due to have started early this year with an opening date set for June 2025.

But the NHS held back from signing it off - and the costs started to rise because of inflation.

We understand there has been some frustration at the borough over the delay - the houses next to the site have been built and one of the attractions of the council  homes were that they would be so near to the surgery.

As well as serving the Whitton and Whitehouse areas of the town it would also look after people in neighbouring villages like Bramford, Claydon and Blakenham.

Patrick Spencer is demanding talks over the future of the super surgery. (Image: newsquest)

New MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Patrick Spencer said: “For too long residents in North Ipswich and surrounding areas including Claydon, Barham and Henley have been struggling to access the good quality patient care and health services they deserve.

"Following the results of recent patient satisfaction surveys, Cardinal Medical Practice clearly still has challenges and I will be seeking an early meeting with them.

"But in the meantime we are still waiting for delivery of the new 'super surgery' which will deliver improved services for residents.

"I will be meeting with Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board as a priority to understand what more needs to be done to get this surgery over the line.”

A spokesman for NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, said: “The ICB is continuing negotiations with the surgery and borough council about the development plans.

“We know that north west Ipswich residents have been waiting for some time for a new surgery and are keen for these plans to move forward as quickly as possible. We thank them for their continued patience.

“We hope to be able to offer a wider public update in the autumn.”