New £3.5m medical practice in Emsworth opened by Havant MP Alan Mak

Havant MP Alan Mak cut a ribbon as part of a ceremony to open the new Emsworth Medical Centre, built on the site of the former Victoria Cottage Hospital, in North Street.

The project involved redeveloping the derelict hospital site with some new build, but also transforming the interior with light, spacious rooms for GPs, staff and patients.

Mr Mak said: ‘After working to deliver Emsworth’s new GP surgery since 2015 alongside the local community and healthcare partners, I am delighted that NHS funding has now enabled the new medical practice to open.’

As reported, campaigners spent months trying to secure the former hospital site for the new surgery after it was put up for sale in July 2018. The building was decommissioned and closed in April 2013.

GP partners at Emsworth worked closely with NHS Hampshire, Southampton and the Isle of Wight Clinical Group, NHS Property Services, others to select the site for their new home.

Dr Abu Chinwala, a GP partner at Emsworth Medical Practice, said: ‘Our previous site was not purpose-built and we outgrew it long ago, as the population of Emsworth has grown and our number of registered patients has expanded so greatly over the years.

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‘The new building has exceeded our expectations. Our staff love it and I’m sure our patients do too.’

The practice received its first patients on July 26, little more than two weeks after the construction work was completed.

Contractors Mountjoy started on-site in January 2020 for what was expected to be a 12 month construction period - but the Covid-19 pandemic led to delays caused in part by a shortage of building material and the need for various contractors to socially distance themselves whilst working.

Works included demolishing single-storey outbuildings, providing a new rear single-storey extension to the main building, installing a new lift shaft, roofing and canopy construction, complete reconfiguration of rooms, and extensive internal and external decorations.

The £3.5m needed for the scheme was funded by NHS England through an estates, technology and transformation fund grant.

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