Member Article

Multi-million pound funding aids expansion of Peterlee medical centre

A multi-million pound funding package has aided major refurbishment and expansion of Peterlee-based William Brown Medical Centre.

The Intrahealth facility has expanded consultation rooms by nearly a third and created additional space for existing clinics.

The surgery in Peterlee, which has around 16,000 patients on its list, is part of IntraHealth, one of the largest UK providers of primary care services.

IntraHealth was founded in County Durham in 1997 and has twenty-five GP practices across England, around half of which are located in the North East.

Refurbishment works, which began in early 2013, have extended the building and updated the layout, making it more accessible to patients.

The existing pharmacy was relocated and extended giving greater visibility to this important service. The practice’s consultation rooms have been modernised and extended from seventeen to twenty-two, creating more space for current practitioners and allowing for further expansion.

Brian Hunter, director, IntraHealth said: “To make a significant investment in a project like this is always a big decision, especially at this time when NHS financing arrangements can be more complex and time consuming. But it reflects our confidence in the team here in Peterlee and we are delighted with the outcome.

“We are working closely with other partners and hope soon to be in a position to start development of new practice premises on brown field sites in Easington and Shildon.

“Our healthcare Banking consultant, Malcolm Swan’s existing knowledge of the sector and his ability to understand our position from the beginning, made the whole process much easier.

“From banking elsewhere a few years ago, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking now provides all of our banking services and is an important partner as we continue to build our network of primary care and pharmacy services,”

Malcolm Swan, healthcare banking consultant, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking said: “IntraHealth’s updated premises will be a real benefit to the residents of Peterlee and I am glad that we were able to use my focussed healthcare expertise to help carry out the work as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“We have a wide range of support that we can offer to businesses looking to expand, including lending through FLS, through which have committed £7.5 billion to SME customers so far.”

John Curtis, relationship director, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking added: “We are pleased to be able to offer a range of funding options to our customers, including the Government-backed Funding for Lending Scheme under which we can provide a one per cent discount for the life of the loan.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .