Owners of the ‘sub-standard’ Wootton doctors surgery — which will need to be pulled down — have committed to resolving issues around the practice.
Medical property portfolio holder Assura has been the owner of Wootton Bridge Medical Centre since 2017 — three years after it was built — and said it was not aware of any potential structural issues when it took over.
Building dubbed ‘sub-standard’
Over the years, the land it was built on has experienced minor movement and issues with the foundations have led to the need for what planning documents called ‘significant structural work’.
Surveys have shown cracks are now evident in the building and it has been dubbed ‘sub-standard’ by Medina Healthcare.
Demolished and rebuilt
In a letter to patients, it was revealed the eight-year-old building must be knocked down and rebuilt.
The cost of relocating the surgery and the rebuilding process will fall to Assura.
News came as a shock
James Davies, business manager of Medina Healthcare, told patients the news came as a shock, given the relatively young age of the building but was pleased Assura was already working hard to bring about the rebuild as quickly as possible.
A spokesperson for Assura said since becoming aware of the situation they had been working closely with structural engineers to work out what next steps are needed to fix the causes of the problems at Wootton Bridge Medical Centre.
Discussions over temporary accommodation
They say they have also been working with Medina Healthcare and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board to explore options for temporary accommodation for the practice while the work is underway to minimise patient disruption.
Plans have now been put in place for the practice to occupy the former NatWest building on Riverway, Newport — for potentially three years.
The spokesperson said,
“We are committed to resolving these issues and to ensuring the practice continues to have high-quality space for delivering its services to patients.”
Two branches under one roof
The two branches of Medina Healthcare would then be under one roof as administrative staff are set to move out of West Street as the building’s owners now want to sell it.
The current Wootton building, on Brannon Way, is still safe for staff and patients to use, but the agencies are now looking toward the future.
2023 move to Newport
It is thought the move to Newport would take place early to mid-next year.
The medical centre was built and opened in 2014 after a long-run campaign by Wootton Bridge Parish Council to get a new GP surgery in the village.
In planning documents submitted by Medina Healthcare to the Isle of Wight Council back in 2010, it was said to keep the height of the building down, it made sense to cut the ground down so the building nestled into the sloping site.
New designs and foundations will be worked on to ensure the same cracking issues do not happen at the new facility.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: christinawelsh under CC BY 2.0
