Residents welcome funding for new GP surgery

Villagers have welcomed plans for a new GP surgery moving a step forward with confirmation of funding for the project.

The Tolsey Surgery in Sherston, near Malmesbury, serves more than 3,000 patients but is an outdated building with an expiring lease so residents have been campaigning for a new facility.

They have now been told that the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Integrated Care Board has allocated up to £88,000 per year for the development of a new surgery.

Wiltshire councillor Martin Smith said: "It's fantastic news that the NHS is now supporting this longstanding and locally important project."

"There are still hurdles to overcome before a new surgery is built, but this is a positive step for the future of healthcare in the Sherston and Malmesbury areas," he added.

Last year, residents said they were concerned they may lose their GP surgery if the local NHS care board did not commit to a new one.

More than 2,000 people have been campaigning for a new surgery, saying it is required to meet the needs of a growing community, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

South Cotswolds MP Roz Savage said she was delighted the project had reached "an important milestone".

"This drive to ensure that Sherston residents continue to have a GP surgery has taken a huge amount of work over several years," she said.

"This significant step forward shows what's possible when people come together with a shared purpose, and reflects the determination of residents who have campaigned so strongly for better local healthcare."

Confirmation of funding will allow the project to progress to the next stage, which will involve fundraising and finalising designs.

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