­STATE-of-the-art medical facilities could be in the pipeline for staff and patients of Okehampton Medical Centre.

Managers are hoping to build a new annexe to the centre on the footprint of the old District Memorial Hospital, subject to planning consent.

The development would provide a new dispensary, five consulting rooms, two treatment rooms and waiting area, as well as an upstairs meeting room, toilet facilities and kitchen.

Practice manager at Okehampton Medical Centre, Alison Shelton, said the new annex would make a tremendous difference to both patients and staff.

She said: 'The present building is extremely cramped now so the additional building will offer much more space and will make visiting and working in the medical centre a much more pleasurable experience.

'Additionally the extra parking that will be available will make parking much easier.

'We have waited a long time to be able to initiate this expansion and feel it is long overdue, so we are all very excited about it.

'The new building will be modern and will meet all the present access and ecological criteria that it needs to.'

Plans to convert the old building were considered, but on closer inspection proven not possible.

Ms Shelton said doctors at the medical centre were aware the District Memorial Hospital was held dear to many people in the community, as well as to themselves, and would be looking for a suitable site to place a commemorative stone.

They also plan to start a small collection of memorabilia and photographs acknowledging the important role the hospital has held in many people's lives.

This will be put on display in the new building.

The medical centre managers say they have had 'positive' discussions with West Devon Borough Council's planning department and a planning application was due to be submitted to the authority imminently.

It is hoped work on the new annex will start at the end of this year — the project is estimated to take around 18 months to complete.

l Anyone who has any memorabilia they would like to submit to the centre can call Dr Kathryn Vile on 01837 52233.