Crucial talks on the future of Avenue Road surgery will take place today and hopes are high they will lead to the practice taking a major step towards finally securing a move to new premises at the Clements Park development.

Mounting frustration has surrounded the proposals to relocate to a section of the Duchess of Kent building after they became bogged down in red tape.

In an effort to put pressure on decision makers the over stretched Outen Practice, which runs the surgery, has even organised a petition for patients to sign.

But, Brentwood Council said this week the delays had been caused by complex discussions with the Department of Health over a Section 106 agreement which strictly prohibited any redevelopment of the former Warley Hospital site for health purposes.

Council chief executive, Bob McLintock, said the council had been working hard over the last three years to resolve the issue and he hoped a solution was fast approaching: "The whole time from deciding to try to assist the doctors until now has been taken up with trying to reach an agreement with the Department of Health and other parties to remove that restriction.

"We are gradually getting it sorted out and we have a meeting on Thursday at which fingers crossed we might be able to bring this to a successful conclusion. I am quite optimistic."

Mr McLintock said he sympathised with the surgery, but could also understand the Department of Health's careful approach to the issue.

The letter given out to patients at the Avenue Road surgery emphasised the seriousness of the situation. It said: "Our practice list is now 11,500. The Clements Park development has already added over 1,000 patients to our list, and many more are yet to come. Our current building is the size now allowed for a two doctor, 4,000 patient practice, and clearly cannot cope. We cannot fit any more staff into the building and out efficiency is declining. We had planned to be in a new building by this stage, but bureaucracy has hindered us.

"With regret, we now feel the only thing left for us to do is to ask you to support us in a petition to demand that a final decision is taken."

The plan already has the support of the health authority and Billericay, Brentwood and Wickford Primary Care Trust.

Dr John Tuppen, who works at the surgery and is also chairman of the PCT's committee, said: "Our list is going through the roof and we are stuck in a building that's too small."

Published Thursday, June 19, 2003

Brought to you by the Brentwood Gazette