GP surgery could move to new home

A GP surgery could move to a new location alongside 15 homes under fresh plans.

The Kingsnorth Medical Practice in Ashford Road – close to Tesco Park Farm – would move to a new facility further south along the road, which it is hoped will allow for a greater capacity of patients.

The outline plan would agree in principle to the construction of a medical centre up to 1,280 sq m, a pharmacy up to 280 sq m and up to 15 dwellings.

A supporting statement for the project – written by the practice’s doctors – states the practice has outgrown its current premises, with 16 patients per sq m compared to the current NHS standards of 12.5 patients/sq m.

The report says this will only be exacerbated when nearby developments begin filling up.

Another concern for the current surgery is its location on a floodplain, with the site having experienced 14 flood warnings since December 2019.

The doctors note: “The practice has long held the view that relocation to a new site with state-of-the-art premises was an urgent necessity.

“We plan to accommodate both existing patients and the new developments at Kingsnorth Green and Court Lodge as well as and other local windfall developments within the current practice boundary.

“The proposal would allow the practice to immediately extend its boundary to the east of the railway line to incorporate current residence of Bridgefield and Park Farm south east.”

A consultation on the Martin Jarvis Homes plan was held via text messages in June and July 2020, and saw over 8,000 messages sent to patients with a link to an online survey on a draft proposal.

More than 94% of the 2,054 patient respondents were in favour of the proposal, according to the developer.

Concluding the supporting statement, the practice’s doctors write: “To refuse this application (on the grounds of 15 extra homes on this site) would seriously damage capacity within our local NHS.

“We urge you to ‘see the bigger picture’ and grant permission.”