WORK is well underway at the new £2.8-million Tavyside Health Centre in Tavistock, with completion expected by the end of March 2011.

The new centre will replace the Stannary and Wharfside surgeries and is starting to take shape on what was the old car park of Stannary surgery.

Full GP services are continuing as normal at Abbey Rise and at the Wharfside Surgery site in Canal Road, and behind the scenes plans are ongoing to deliver additional new services next year, when the new health centre is opened.

Since the official merger of the two surgeries in the spring, Tavyside has already introduced some new services, such as a wider range of in house minor surgery procedures and a broader range of travel vaccinations.

When the new building opens, in-house physiotherapy and counselling services will resume, and other services will roll out over the months following opening. 

Evening and weekend clinics are also being planned, not only for GP and out patient clinics, but also for non NHS services such as a specialist travel clinic. 

On behalf of the partners at Tavyside, Dr Graham Johnson said: 'Excitement is definitely building as the completion date draws near and patients and staff alike have adapted with apparent ease to the inevitable disruption.

'We are very grateful for the tolerance from all patients, and for their understanding.'

Plans of the new centre are on display at the surgeries at Canal Road and at Abbey Rise.