A three month public consultation on plans to build a state-of-the-art primary health care centre in London Road, Leigh, is being launched.

Residents are being urged by the Southend Primary Care Trust to have their say on the proposed new centre on the current Dragon Motors site.

The proposed centre would have community health facilities together with GP practices.

Room will also be provided for additional health service facilities such as a dentist, a dispensing pharmacist and ante-natal clinics.

A spokeswoman for the trust said the existing Leigh Clinic in Burnham Road has served the area well for many years, but was ageing and had been converted from a private home.

Three GP practices in Leigh - at Pall Mall, Cranleigh Drive and Elm Road have also been suffering problems because of lack of space and inadequate existing premises.

These three practices would be relocating to the new premises, but other GPs in Leigh who operate from independent surgeries would also be able to refer patients to the new centre.

Public meetings would be held on October 4 at 7.30pm at the Grand Hotel in Leigh Broadway and on October 6 at 2pm in The Stables at Leigh Baptist Church in Chalkwell Park Drive.

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