Massive step forward for new Hethersett medical centre

The agreement will see Medcentres act as a development partner as the Council works with the Humbleyard Practice to move forward with plans for a new, modern medical centre capable of meeting the needs of not just Hethersett’s growing population, but also the surrounding area.

South Norfolk Council Leader, Daniel Elmer said:

This is fantastic news for Hethersett, Mulbarton and Cringleford and an important milestone in our ambition to help deliver the modern healthcare facilities our growing communities need. The Council has been working very hard for a number of years to get to this really important and exciting stage and signing this development agreement demonstrates our commitment to turning our ambitions into reality.

Hethersett has grown considerably and its existing surgery is under enormous pressure. We want our residents to be able to access high-quality healthcare in their own community rather than having to travel elsewhere because there simply isn’t enough space locally. By bringing together South Norfolk Council, Medcentres and the Humbleyard Practice, we now have a real opportunity to move this important project forward at pace, and the only thing we are now waiting for is the green light from the NHS.”

Hethersett surgery currently serves 9,072 patients from just seven clinical rooms. The wider Humbleyard Practice operates across three surgeries and has 22,687 registered patients, placing increasing pressure on existing facilities.

The lack of space at Hethersett is already limiting the services that can be provided locally. GPs have at times had to work from administrative areas or from home when they are not running face-to-face clinics, while pressures on clinical space have affected the practice’s ability to accommodate mental health professionals, social prescribers, visiting secondary-care professionals and medical students.

Patients are also increasingly having to travel outside Hethersett to access services in Cringleford and Mulbarton.

With significant housing growth in and around Hethersett, the need for improved local healthcare infrastructure is becoming increasingly important. The new medical centre will provide an opportunity to create the modern clinical environment needed to increase capacity and support a wider range of health services closer to people’s homes.

The new centre would also support the NHS ambition to move more healthcare away from hospitals and into community and neighbourhood settings, creating the potential for patients to access more services locally.

Pictured: L-R: Dr. Hayley Bowron, Partner, Humbleyard Practice, Cllr Lisa Overton-Neal, Cllr Daniel Elmer, David Arnold, Development Director, Medcentres