Barnby Gate Surgery and Fountains Medical Practice are intending to move to new replacement premises
Find out about the new build and stay up to date with the latest information below.
Felton Surgery is intending to move to new premises
What would the new building mean for patients?
Space for additional services
Better training facilities for staff
Modern primary care facilities
Why does Felton Surgery need new premises?
The practice saw the potential for a new building on land owned by Felton Parish Council. The site, located off Main Street is conveniently situated and highly accessible to our many patients. This proposal, which will be supported by Section 106 funding and the national primary care premises specialist Assura, has been approved by Northumberland North East and North Cumbria ICB. Earlier patient feedback on this idea suggested that there is overwhelming support for this proposal, with all 56 respondents supportive and particularly keen to see improvements to access for people with disabilities and more parking.
Planning permission reference 23/03581/FUL was approved by Northumberland County Council on the 15th March 2024. Assura are working with Felton Parish Council and Northumbria Primary Care Ltd to finalise legal agreements and enable a start on site later this year.
What would the new building mean for care?
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Modern facilities for primary care which will improve privacy, dignity, and access for people with disabilities.
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Space for services delivered by Northumbria Primary Care, such as social prescribing link workers, clinical pharmacists and mental wellbeing support.
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Room to build the practice’s training capacity for new GP registrars.
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Space for wider availability of local health services.
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Capacity to care for growing patient numbers due to local housing growth.
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Dispensary for prescriptions
Click on the images below to view and enlarge the plans.
Through its national community fund, Assura – the appointed developer for the scheme - offers small grants to health-improving charity projects in the communities around all new medical centres that it builds. It means that a local health project in Felton can benefit from a grant, and this will be explored with local organisations as the proposed scheme moves ahead.
Click here to suggest a local project you think should be invited to apply.
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When would the new building open?Hopefully in late 2025. Patients, residents and all stakeholders will be kept updated on progress of this project.
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Will I need to register as a patient again?No – all current patients would automatically move with the practice to the new building, and there’s nothing that patients need to do.
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How will I get to the new building?The building is a short distance from the existing surgery site and can be accessed by foot, bicycle or car.
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Who are Assura?Assura is a primary care property specialist based in Altrincham. Assura would be the developer of the new building and the practices’ long-term property partner, leasing the building to the practices via a long-term arrangement agreed by the ICS and independently assessed as being value for money to the NHS. Assura has been operating for more nearly 20 years and has developed many new surgery builds around the country, as well as improving primary care facilities and extending existing GP surgery buildings. Assura currently looks after more than 600 primary care and GP surgery buildings across the UK.
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19 car parking seems excessiveAssura run over 600 primary care facilities and monitor car parking levels across the country. They seek to achieve a reasonable amount of car parking which is not excessive, but ensures the facility is accessible for the anticipated levels of car users whilst not creating parking issues for local residents. It is considered the number of spaces proposed strikes the correct balance considering similar sized practices elsewhere and the rural nature of the site.
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How will visitors be stopped from parking on the nearby streets?The car park is of an appropriate scale to allow there to be sufficient spaces even at peak times. It will be managed on a short stay basis and will be monitored by the GPs.
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The entrance should be on Rochester Drive and not Robson Grove. Children play and there are lots of dog walkers on Robson Grove. It looks really cramped around the entrance especially as most people will just be coming to collect medicationThe road system has been designed to ensure safe highways access with sufficient space between junctions to allow safe manoeuvres. The roads were designed and constructed by Bellway with the intention of providing a primary care facility on this site.
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Can we get some additional services like physiotherapy, opticians, dentist, wellbeing spaces, social prescribers, chiropodist, general health, health visitor sessions and public health training such as CPR and Defib information sessions?The extra space at the new surgery does offer the potential for additional services. Northumbria Primary Care, which now owns both Felton and Widdrington surgeries, are committed to providing as may services from the new site as is practicable and possible. NPC is keen to keep those ideas in mind.
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We need dedicated spaces for bicyclesBicycle storage will be provided on site.
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There needs to be emergency access for ambulancesAn ambulance space has now been included and will be positioned adjacent to the front door. You can view the updated site plan here.
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There needs to be electric vehicle charging pointsWe’re planning for two EV charging points on site.
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Patients need to be kept up to date on the latest news with the schemeBoth NPC and Assura are committed to keeping everyone updated as this project progresses. Updates will be provided via the dedicated Assura microsite, the practice website and social media channels, within the practices themselves and via the patient participation group and other community groups, bulletins and notice boards.
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The rooms for dispensing and reception staff need to have direct daylight in their working areas. They are in this building all day and should have a comfortable environmentA skylight will provide a comfortable illuminated space for staff.
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Is there enough GP space? We need our own dedicated doctor in FeltonThe surgery includes five consulting rooms versus two in the current surgery. NPC is committed to ensuring as much GP and other clinical cover as possible.