GP surgery will have to be sold before new medical centre can be built, Northampton patients told

The reason for the delay in starting construction of a medical centre near Northampton has come to light.
The existing Moulton SurgeryThe existing Moulton Surgery
The existing Moulton Surgery

Marsh Spinney Medical Centre in Moulton was given the go ahead in July 2017, to be built on land near Sandy Hill Lane along with 84 new houses.

Yet with work started on the first homes at Marsh Spinney estate, there is no sign of construction beginning on the medical centre.

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And it has now come to light that the existing Moulton Surgery needs to be sold before the new medical centre can be built.

Minutes of a Moulton Parish Council meeting record that the senior partner at Moulton Surgery, Dr Darin Seiger, said: "The stumbling blocks for progression are the revenue costs of a new surgery.

"Section 106 monies [from the developer] and the sale of the current surgery would provide the funds for the capital build."

"The business case is currently with the transformation team at the NHS, significant support has been given to the project from the local MP, leader of Daventry District Council and Moulton Parish Council.

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"The partnership working with [the parish council] to develop and deliver the Health and Wellbeing Strategy is held in high esteem throughout the county and greatly assists the business case."

The Section 106 contribution to towards the new medical centre - totalling £500,000 - has already been handed to the parish council.

So the project is being held up by the business case and sale of Moulton Surgery.

Patients will hope that the new medical centre can cater for the area's growing needs, which often outstrip the capacity of the current surgery.

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This point was made at the planning meeting where the Marsh Spinney estate was approved. So important was the medical centre to Moulton that its construction was made a condition of the 84 new homes being approved.

Moulton Parish Council commented at the time that "the present doctor's surgery is oversubscribed and getting appointments is extremely difficult".

No-one at Moulton Surgery was available for comment.