New L’Aumone Surgery due to open in November
A NEW doctor's surgery is in the final stages of being completed, ready for a late autumn opening date.
The redevelopment of L’Aumone Surgery has been under way for 18 months, and is due to open for business in November, including for social prescribing activities such as pilates, yoga and mindfulness to aid the mental health crisis.
‘We’re trying to encourage more community treatments in the purpose-built medical hub to offer other services such as physiotherapy, osteopathy, podiatry and psychotherapy, as well as some minor ops,’ said Dr Robert Hanna from the surgery.
‘Medicine is changing, patients are being supported to manage and improve their own health, and there is more chronic disease management in primary care.’
He said that the new surgery will be able to satisfy these needs for the community, as well as for preventative activities such as flu and Covid vaccines and social prescribing.
The original building will be transformed into a large pharmacy with room for more products and services, once RG Falla has completed the main development.
Downstairs will consist of 12 consultant rooms, two waiting rooms – including a private waiting room if a patient requires it – and will be covered and connected to the pharmacy.
‘The aim is to have everything in one place, everything accessible with all corridors, doorways, entrances and exits wide enough to the fit bigger wheelchairs and provide access for everyone,’ said Dr Hanna.
‘The original building lasted 40 to 50 years, and so we’re hoping to future-proof the site for that amount of time again.
‘It’s a big investment into the future, but a medical centre like this is what is required now.’
Clerical services will be based upstairs in a west-facing office with large windows, meeting and educational rooms and staff rooms.
‘It is a much better use of space and it’s incredibly important to look after the mental health and general wellbeing of our staff at a time of a recruitment crisis,’ said Dr Hanna.
‘We really hope everyone will love this space.’
The surgery will also be colour-coded and dementia-friendly.
Even the car park has been given a makeover, and will include 60 bay parking spaces, three blue badge spaces and an ambulance bay to seamlessly transfer sick patients.
The surgery will also have a planting scheme, with large planters on the roof and around the site, climbers on the side of the building and trees between parking spaces.
Dr Hanna said that the green look would be refreshing to both staff and patients, particularly in an age where days are spent looking at screens.
The redevelopment is currently four weeks behind schedule, but is due for the main building to open mid-November, with the new pharmacy early next year.
