Coronavirus: Peterborough GP surgery seeks to use Portakabin as isolation rooms for suspected Covid-19 patients

Thorpe Road Surgery has applied to Peterborough City Council for planning approval after highlighting a shortage of space at the practice.

In a planning statement to the council the surgery, which is located near the city’s walk-in centre, said: “The building will be used for clinical rooms for current staff working ad hoc due to room space.

“Planning for a permanent extension has lapsed so the new application and funding is a future target.

“The Portakabin will help the current space issue in the interim and will serve immediately as isolation rooms for suspected Covid-19 patients.

“This application seeks temporary planning approval of three years, by which time a permanent solution will have been sought.”

The surgery added that the Portakabin “can be installed quickly, enabling Thorpe Road Surgery to begin using the specifically fitted out building much more quickly than a traditional build, and it can easily be removed from site with little impact”.

The surgery currently has just under 8,000 patients, according to the NHS website.

A decision on the application has yet to be made by the council.