DR SCOTT'S SURGERY.

I AM very proud of the team of people I work with at Newburn Surgery but, to be honest, our building is in a bit of a mess. It's an old terrace house that, over the years, we have done our best to turn into a surgery. We all know we could do so much better for our patients if we had a decent surgery.

We have been working very hard to build a new centre with our local library and chemist. We want to deliver as broad a range of functions as possible in a modern 21st Century medical facility, in order to cater for the needs of the whole community. At the moment we are waiting to hear what the PCT makes of our dreams. We are desperately hoping that they approve our business plans as we need them to help us pay for the new building.

Modern surgeries need to be set up to house a more diverse range of facilities so that a comprehensive range of services can be delivered close to people's homes. We have been thinking a lot about how we can achieve this so I was very interested to hear about the successful surgery development in Sacriston, County Durham. It has recently been awarded the 2009 Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Award for Community Benefit at a national awards ceremony in London. This surgery building was designed to incorporate a variety of specific suites for a range of services including dentistry, speech and language therapy, children's work and pharmaceutical services, as well as standard consulting rooms and support accommodation for the surgery. Additionally, space was provided for a community nurse, a podiatrist, district nurses and a health visitor. The building has also been instrumental in engaging with the local community. The glass faade opens up the facilities to passing cars and pedestrians by allowing views into the waiting area. Internally, the building wraps around the sculpted courtyard, visible from the main waiting area, which also incorporates original artworks commissioned for the project. This serves to break down the sterility of the waiting room by providing an interesting and restful environment. Quoting from the awards ceremony: "This surgery is an excellent example of a building that meets and solves the demands of the local residents. It's engaging design is fantastic, as it draws in the community and provides a pleasant, calming environment. This is a true community building." Sounds great, looks great, it's just what this doctor wants to order. I will keep you posted with news of Newburn's hoped for new surgery.