A new £1.5million doctors' surgery with capacity to support nearly 12,000 patients has opened in Clacton.
Frinton Road Medical Practice, in Holland-on-Sea, and Clacton's Epping Close Surgery have both moved into a "proper 21st century medical facility" in Kennedy Way.
The new surgery, known as Kennedy Way Medical Centre, welcomed its first patients on May 4 — but the official opening was delayed until Monday due to Covid restrictions.
Kennedy Way Medical Centre has 66 allocated car parking spaces for patients and will also be the site of an innovative social prescribing hub, the first phase of which is expected to be completed in the summer.
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It also houses houses eight consulting rooms, seven treatment rooms, a phlebotomy room, a training space for clinicians and a digital facility allowing patients to have remote consultations without the need to travel.
David Garnett and his wife, Rita, were key members of the Frinton Road Patient Participation Group to develop the new centre.
He said: "Local people now have a proper 21st century medical facility, which gives them a much better patient experience with increased access to services."
Dr Farrukh Shamshad, partner and general practitioner for Clacton Community Practices, which oversees the running of the new medical centre, said: "Kennedy Way Medical Centre will be able to support almost 12,000 patients in the area, three thousand more than the two practices it replaces.
"It also frees up space at the former Epping Close surgery which will be transformed to create an additional four dialysis stations for renal patients.
"The whole project represents much-needed investment in the health of our local population and I hope that with the additional training facilities for clinicians, it will also help us to recruit more staff locally."
Clacton MP Giles Watling added: "Having been involved with these plans from the outset, and watched their development along the way, I am delighted to see them come to fruition today.
"Primary care has been one of my major campaigns since being elected in 2017. We have had many successes so far and this improvement is the cherry on the cake."
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