Steps taken to establish potential health and leisure park
Melton Borough Council have taken the next steps in establishing whether there is a viable option to develop a joint health and leisure park which could include the second GP surgery for Melton Mowbray.
Cllr Joe Orson Leader of the Council said “The Council has made securing a second GP surgery a key priority within its Corporate Strategy. We know alongside the growth in housing, people want infrastructure to support them and patients want more choice. This is something the Council is keen to secure. It is clearly early days, but we are working closely with our CCG partners to explore the options and I am thrilled that we are seeing how we could align both our primary health and leisure facilities into a single locality to offer a comprehensive wellbeing offer to our communities. There is still much more work to be done but exploring the opportunity is very exciting for Melton.”
The Local Plan, which was adopted in October 2018 sets out the plan for increased housing development to secure growth and prosperity in the borough. Underpinning this, the recently adopted Corporate Strategy outlined the commitment to campaign for a second GP surgery in Melton Mowbray as well as looking to develop proposals for a sustainable future for leisure provision and services.
The Leader of the Council, senior officers and representatives from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have started work to establish whether there is a viable option to develop a joint health and leisure park which could include the second GP surgery.
Consultants will now be engaged to work with both Melton Borough Council, CCG and other stakeholders to consider the various options and to review feasibility and approaches to funding.
Andy Williams, Chief Executive of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Clinical Commissioning Groups said: “I am really pleased to be working in partnership with the council and other partners to develop a plan for Melton.
“It’s a great opportunity to develop local services as the population grows and changes in the years ahead.”
Alicia Kearns, MP for Rutland and Melton said “There is absolutely no question that Melton needs a second GP surgery. It is wrong that in the next ten years 45,000 people will otherwise be served by just one surgery which is already one of the most over-subscribed in the entire country. The people of Melton deserve better.
“That’s why I’ve been working with Melton Borough Council and our CCG to deliver on my election promise to secure a new surgery.
“Now, more than ever, we deserve certainty of access to swift and exceptional healthcare, and a new surgery will undoubtedly improve the health of our communities. The Prime Minister has given his backing to a new GP practice and I’m very grateful to Melton Borough Council and the CCG who are working hard to make this a reality for the people of Melton.”
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For more information please contact:
communications@melton.gov.uk