Chris Hill An ambitious new �3m medical centre for Fakenham was recommended for approval by health chiefs at a meeting held yesterday. The existing GP practice on Greenway Lane, built in 1985, is one of a number of Norfolk centres considered inadequate to cope with an expected growth in population.

Chris Hill

An ambitious new �3m medical centre for Fakenham was recommended for approval by health chiefs at a meeting held yesterday.

The existing GP practice on Greenway Lane, built in 1985, is one of a number of Norfolk centres considered inadequate to cope with an expected growth in population.

To improve services in the town, an initial business case for a purpose-built new building won “caveated approval” from NHS Norfolk Board members in July.

Since then, the proposed premises have been redesigned to accommodate nursing and other community care services which are provided by Norfolk Community and Health Care.

The proposed practice would also house additional services such as phlebotomy, minor injuries and chronic disease management clinics.

NHS Norfolk board members were asked to give the final proposals the green light at a meeting in King's Lynn yesterday, although the result of the meeting was not known when the Times went to press.

Graham Copsey, NHS Norfolk's assistant director of estates, said: “The revised business case for Fakenham Medical Practice will secure excellent health services for the local community.

“NHS Norfolk hopes it will offer an enhanced service to everyone in the community. We also hope it will enable older people, or those with significant and social care needs who are at risk of being re-admitted to hospital or a care home, to stay in their own homes.”

If approved, Fakenham's new medical practice is expected to be up and running by next spring.

Three other schemes have already been approved by the board at Costessey, Loddon and South Lynn. The Costessey development started in January 2010 and is expected to be completed in January 2011. Work at Loddon is due to begin this month and the South Lynn scheme is expected to begin later in the spring.

Six further schemes are planned which are due to start during the next two years. They are the practices at Diss and Cromer, the Fairstead Surgery in King's Lynn, the Old Mill Surgery in Poringland and the Yare Valley Medical Practice and Gurney Surgery in Norwich.