WORK could start on the long-awaited expansion to Launceston Medical Centre by the end of July meaning that the new facilities should be open by the end of 2019.

Andrew Yardley, the centre’s practice manager, told the annual meeting of the Patient Participation Group on Thursday, March 22: “We hope we can give the go ahead for the construction work to start by the end of July and it is estimated that the work would take between a year and 15 months.”

He said that Peter Harper, who is project-managing the expansion plans on behalf of the medical centre, was at last positive that things were nearing a successful conclusion.

The centre first submitted a detailed business case to the NHS for an expansion to the surgery premises back in July 2013 and there followed years of frustration for staff and patients at the medical centre as NHS rules and guidelines changed frequently meaning that the medical centre had to rework and re-submit its plans and bids many times.

The proposed two-storey extension will be built to the rear of the current building on a plot of land, which the centre has purchased between it and Launceston Hospital. The new work will also involve some alterations to the existing building.

When complete it will provide ten more consulting rooms (including training facilities for GP registrars), a bigger waiting room, a new entrance to the dispensary and a staff training/meeting room.

There will be a new parking area alongside the new wing and the approach to the medical centre will become one-way with the exit road using the hospital approach road.

Mr Yardley said: “Because of our parking problems, we have written to businesses around us to see whether they can spare spaces for our staff to park and some local homeowners already kindly allow staff to park on their properties.”

PPG member Paul Ford asked whether any decision had been reached on the green land between the road and Kernow House because that could provide additional parking or be used by on-site contractors. Mr Yardley said that would be investigated.

The medical centre would now look at the use of the existing building during the phases of the alterations and new build to minimise, as far as possible, the impact on normal services, said Mr Yardley.

PPG chair Joan Heaton said: “We welcome this positive news. It will be an important and busy year for the medical centre and we are committed to providing all the support and help we can.”