A NEW £5million health centre has been given the go ahead in north Suffolk.

The facility will be built at the former Eversley School Playing Fields in Reydon, near Southwold.

The board of NHS Norfolk and Waveney approved the full business case in November and this has now been green lighted by the Department of Health.

The Sole Bay Health Centre will provide new, fit-for-purpose accommodation for GPs, a community pharmacy and space for a range of outpatient and community-based clinical services.

The aim is to bring health care experts together under one roof in the centre of Reydon, closer to the majority of the surgery’s patients.

The scheme is being co-ordinated by the NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group, known as HealthEast,

Chief executive Andy Evans said: “We are delighted we have the go ahead to build the health centre.

“This moves forward our plans to provide innovative and integrated services for the people of Great Yarmouth and Waveney in modern and attractive premises.

“The health centre is one of our first steps in our ambition to provide out-of-hospital care wherever possible, moving care closer to people’s homes, and providing integrated and seamless services to patients.”

The new centre will also have space for GPs to provide teaching to undergraduate students and training to post-graduate doctors.

Dr Andrew Eastaugh, a GP at Southwold, said: “The doctors and staff are very excited about the prospect of moving in to the new premises and working closely with our community care partners to provide a full service that meets the needs of patients in the 21st Century.”