Ipswich: Plans for new £7.75m GP surgery take a step forward

The new surgery will be one of the largest in the area

Plans for a new multi-million pound GP surgery have taken another step forward.

The NHS has approved an outline business case for the surgery on the former Tooks Bakery site in Ipswich.

This week, Ipswich Borough Council put out a tender for a lead consultant to manage the design team.

Work on the £7.75m project could start next year, with the surgery in place by 2025, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said.

The council, which owns the land for the proposed new surgery, has been working in partnership with NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Cardinal Medical Practice (CMP) to increase GP capacity in the north-west of the town.

If approved, the plans for the surgery on the Tooks site - at the junction of Bury Road and Old Norwich Road - include a two-storey building with 29 clinic rooms, 11 nurse rooms and a minor operating suite.

It will replace surgeries on Deben Road and Chesterfield Drive.

Labour councillor Martin Cook, portfolio holder for resources, said: "When it is complete, this will be one of the largest surgeries in the Ipswich area.

"I am pleased to say that the outline business case has been approved by the NHS and we have submitted the planning application for the scheme.

"We are expecting to receive tender returns for the lead consultant in the design team by the end of next month."

The council is due to consider a planning application for the surgery in April.