‘Big project’ to refit old Education offices

‘It’s been a big project, but it’s well under way. It’s going to be a great space,’ said one of the partners, Dr Mat Dorrian.

‘We hope to start seeing patients in the building by the end of next year.’

The new surgery at the former site of the States Education Offices is only 200 metres away from the practice’s current site.

The new practice which will be more than twice the size of its present home, was the base for The Ladies’ College until 1965.

It was sold by the States to the medical practice in May last year for £1.56m.

‘The building work has been going very well so far and the contractors and project manager have been doing a great job,’ said Dr Dorrian.

‘The building has been stripped down and the job now begins of refitting it to be a modern medical practice. We are creating new spaces within the building for admin and meetings and, of course, fundamentally new GP consulting rooms.’

The work currently under way includes adding plumbing to every new consulting room.

The Longfrie surgery will remain as part of Queen’s Road Medical Practice, and the current Queen’s Road surgery will remain open until the new site is ready to occupy.

Dr Dorrian said that patients would see minimal disruption during the move to the new practice.

‘We will move gradually into the building at the end of 2024. It will secure the long-term future of the practice.’

The practice’s current building near the corner of Queen’s Road and the Grange was sold last November, along with the site that houses the Longfrie surgery for just under £3m., by Medico Properties Ltd, a company set up by a group of retired doctors, to chartered surveyor Jeffery Doble.

Dr Dorrian said he did not know what the new plans were for the site were after the practice had vacated the building, but that the current owner had been very accommodating and supportive over their move.