Surgery's VCH move called off

A DOCTOR'S surgery earmarked for a move to a controversial new health centre in Wallasey has pulled out of the project.

Last year Birkenhead and Wallasey Primary Care Trust (PCT) announced plans to bring together four general practices from the town and other community services in a purpose-built three-storey building on the Victoria Central Hospital (VCH) site in Mill Lane.

Victoria Central Primary Care Centre - as it would be known - has been hailed by the PCT as a way of ensuring patients can see their doctor in more modern and accessible premises.

But Manor Health Centre has now decided to go it alone and says it can offer a better service in the practice's existing premises, which are already fully refurbished and modernised.

Sources at Manor Health say many patients were apprehensive about the site moving and staff were concerned at the prospect of sharing facilities with other practices.

Patients were sent letters last week informing them of the decision.

Dr Sean Magennis, senior partner at Manor Health Centre, told the News : "Some patients have been fairly anxious about us moving and most of them are quite happy that we're staying.

"The design of the new building meant that each practice would be left with a long corridor with rooms on either side but we felt that the layout of our existing building worked better for our needs.

"Such a big part of our practice is involved with training or teaching students and we need a lot of space.

"That need for space is only going to increase in the future because of the increasing numbers of doctors who are spending time in general practice as part of their training.

"We felt the new building wasn't going to cater for the training needs of the practice."

Manor Health Centre featured with three other practices in a 15-page consultation document produced by the PCT as part of a public consultation on the plans.

Central Park Medical Centre, Liscard Group Practice and Martin's Lane Surgery are still planning to move.

John South, the PCT's Director of Primary Care, said: "The public consultation on the proposals to establish the primary care centre will conclude on Tuesday, May 3.

"We will consider all the views raised during the consultation after this date before beginning discussions on how the project might be taken forward."