Plans for a new GP surgery in Burton Joyce are set to move to the next stage.
The Ivy Medical Group (IMG) which provides medical services on behalf of the NHS at Apple Tree Medical Practice and Lambley Lane Surgeries in the village revealed they have now been asked to further develop plans and put together a business case for a new premises in the village.
The group have posted an open letter from GP Dr Paramjit Singh Penesar on their website addressed to patients registered with them.
The statement on their website reads as follows: “Over the last 12 months IMG have been working with NHS management leads from Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) to secure their support for new premises for the practice. We have recently been informed that we can develop our plans further and prepare a business case. Â
“This still does not secure funding for new premises, as there are many GP practices across Nottinghamshire that also have a need for new buildings. However, it moves us one step further forward and finding a suitable site will be critical, as many business cases fail due to lack of available land options.Â
“The IMG public meetings last year raised concern about the practice buildings and strongly supported a new premise solution. Attendees wanted to help with this and asked where this could be and how it could be secured.
Dr Penesar added: “I am sorry we haven’t been able to be more open about this, but we did not want to raise expectations. I can confirm that the ICB is happy for the practice to work with Assura, a specialist healthcare property developer to look at potential sites and provide an options appraisal on what may be available.Â
“This will provide a view of the new premises options and how services can be delivered in the future. The developer will produce a business case with all this detail over a period of six months.Â
“I must stress that no site has yet been identified as a preferred location and the business case will look at all possible sites.
“We undertook a paper exercise and considered several possible sites of which two are worthy of more consideration. Shortlisting is ongoing but the Old School Building (OSB) site in Burton Joyce, owned by the Old School Trust (OST) is a possibility. If the OSB site was to be taken forward, we would ensure plans preserved the building as we see this as an important landmark in the heart of the village.”
Contact details for Ivy Medical Group can be found via their website HERE
They are slightly jumping the gun or are being purposely obtuse. The Old School Building is occupied on a long lease by Burton Joyce Parish Council. There was a public meeting about what is happening on 20th June and I would recommend looking on the BJ Parish Council website for the presentation given. At the meeting, the Trustees of the OS Trust were remarkably absent and the Doc was represented by a rather beleaguered young woman who couldn’t say anything to the point. I detect a hint of gerrymandering – and not by the Parish Council, but of course, I couldn’t possibly comment on that.