A MULTI-million pound, state-of-the-art new GP surgery opened its doors in Kidderminster this week.

Kidderminster Medical Centre, which has been developed by Matrix Medical, opened to patients for the first time on Monday (August 22), providing replacement modern premises on the site of the former Cheshire’s Printworks, for two town centre practices.

The £6million facility has seen Kidderminster Health Centre Practice and Forest Glades Medical Centre – which are now part of Wyre Forest Health Partnership (WFHP) - relocate from their old cramped building a few hundred yards away on Bromsgrove Street.

It will cater for 14,000 patients and comprises of 27,000sq ft over four storeys, a pharmacy, rooms for GP consulting, training, treatments, counselling, and minor operations.

It also has additional ‘shell’ space to allow for future growth and additional services in later years.

Senior Partner Dr David Starkie said: “This superb, new, purpose-built development will provide a modern home for us to see patients in.

“The additional space will enable us to offer improved facilities and allow for additional services in the future. We are thrilled to finally be in and open!”

Alison Field of WFHP, added: “The new building will provide a huge boost to the morale of staff, doctors and patients, and will respond to a need that was clearly identified a number of years ago.

“We are very proud of the achievements of the team, who, since joining WFHP in December, as two separate practices, have been gradually coming together as one team in preparation for the move to the new building.”

Matrix Medical, a Birmingham-based specialist development company, was granted detailed planning consent in April 2014 and first had to demolish the buildings on the site in 2015, before appointing Speller Metcalfe to carry out construction of the medical centre.

Jonathan Webb, Development Director at Matrix Medical, said: “We are delighted to have successfully delivered another first class primary care facility and that the building is now open to patients.

“The development provides a long-term solution for the GPs and will enable a wider range of services to be provided in a local setting.”