Plans to extend Deepings and Bourne health centres

South Kesteven District Council has this month approved plans to extend The Deepings Practice in Godsey Lane, Market Deeping by building 11 consulting rooms, a minor operations suite and a recovery room.

And bosses at The Galletly Practice in North Road, Bourne, have recently submitted their own application for an extension to more than double the size of the existing building, creating extra offices, consulting rooms and a minor operations suite.

The populations of both Bourne and the Deepings have increased significantly in recent years, with the Elsea Park and the new Godsey Lane estate both providing hundreds of new houses. So the news that the health centres plan to expand is likely to be welcomed by people in both places.

Partner at the Deepings Practice Dr Ken Rigg said: “We currently have more than 23,000 patients registered at the practice and with proposed further local residential and business developments feel it is necessary to adapt to the ever increasing population numbers.

“The developments at the practice will allow us to be more responsive to the needs of our patients, their families and carers and to offer them a wide range of services that are available closer to their homes reducing the need to travel.

“As a practice we remain committed to providing the highest quality services that meet the needs of our patients.”

District and Market Deeping town councillor Bob Broughton (Independent) said: “We are building so many more houses without putting in the infrastructure. It’s good to see someone at last biting the bullet and doing something for all the young families coming in who will need to see a doctor.”

Although the Deepings Practice now has planning permission to expand, the Galletly application has yet to be approved by the council.

But Lincolnshire county councillor for the Bourne Abbey ward Sue Woolley (Con) was delighted to see it submitted.

She said: “We have seen a large increase in people moving to Bourne and the surrounding area.

“It’s good that the practice has been proactive in making sure they have good enough facilities to cope with the extra population increase. Hopefully that will also mean services that people might have had to go to hospital for will be available in Bourne.

“If more people can be treated locally, that has to be a good thing all round. We all know what it’s like living in the area and having to travel in a car for a procedure.”

You can view the Galletly application by searching for S15/3508 at www.southkesteven.gov.uk/planning, and the Deepings plans by searching for S15/3086.