Patients across Essex are set to benefit from new, expanded or improved GP surgeries as NHS Essex continues work to improve access to local primary care services.
Over the past 12 months, 11 GP premises schemes have been completed across Essex, with a further two now under construction*. Building on this progress, NHS Essex is supporting 17 further schemes alongside other proposals at an earlier stage of development.
Together, the schemes aim to provide more modern, accessible facilities and additional space for GP teams to care for local communities.
The investment aims to make the best use of NHS capital funding, private sector funding secured through new housing developments and opportunities to bring existing buildings back into use.
For patients, that will mean more consulting and treatment rooms, better designed and more accessible buildings, and GP practices with greater capacity to serve growing communities.
We know that being able to access GP services when people need them is a top priority for Essex residents. Having the right buildings and facilities is an important part of making that happen.
Tom Abell, Chief Executive Officer, NHS Essex
While these developments can be complex and depend on funding and close partnership working, we are determined to make the most of every opportunity to deliver better facilities for patients and local GP teams to better meet the needs of growing communities.
Schemes currently being progressed include:
- Riverside Medical Centre, Hullbridge: plans for a new branch surgery at the High Elms development off Lower Road. The new facility will give the practice more space to provide services and support both existing patients and the growing local population. Subject to the remaining work and approvals, it could open in early 2027.
- Church View Surgery (Jones Family Practice), Hockley: plans for around £700,000 of capital investment to extend the existing practice, providing additional space for patient care. Work could begin in early 2027.
- North Avenue Surgery, Southend: plans include investment of around £250,000 in improvements to the practice, with further legal agreements now required.
- Shoebury Health Centre and Laindon Health Centre: work is taking place with NHS Property Services to take forward a proposed multi-million-pound investment in each site to support major improvements to older buildings. The aim is to create better designed, more accessible facilities that are better suited to modern healthcare and have increased space to see patients. Work is continuing with GP practices to make sure that both satisfy the investment requirements.
- Norton Place, Southend: a local GP practice has asked to use the site as a temporary branch surgery for its registered patients.
- Chafford Hundred Medical Centre: a landlord funded extension to provide additional clinical space is due to begin construction in winter 2026/27 and to be completed in autumn 2027.
Other GP practice improvements are also planned at
- The Dipple Medical Centre in Basildon
- Angel Lane Surgery in Great Dunmow
- Thorpe Bay Surgery in Southend
- Beauchamp House Surgery in Chelmsford
- Valkyrie Surgery in Westcliff
- Old Harlow Health Centre
- Coggershall Surgery in Colchester
- Addison House Surgery in Harlow
- Gold Street (Phase 2 extension) in Saffron Walden
- Rowhedge Surgery in Colchester
- Ashingdon Medical Centre in Rochford
- Mersea Island Medical Practice in West Mersea.
Further GP practice improvements are being considered for future years.
Other communities in Essex are already seeing investment turn into new facilities.
- In Uttlesford, a new £2.2 million GP surgery is being built on Station Road in Felsted to replace the existing ageing surgery. Funded by a private developer through a Section 106 planning agreement, construction is expected to be completed in the autumn, with the new surgery expected to open before the end of the year.
- In Braintree district, Halstead Heights Clinic, a branch of Elizabeth Courtauld Partnership, has opened in the refurbished former X-ray block at Halstead Hospital. Working with NHS Property Services, previously unused NHS space has been brought back into use for local patients.
- In Sible Hedingham construction is also expected to begin this winter on a new medical centre, designed to provide a modern healthcare facility with greater capacity to meet the needs of the growing community.
- Kelvedon and Feering new build GP surgery under a S106 agreement funded by a private developer construction is due to be completed summer 2027.
All schemes remain subject to their individual development processes, which may include partnership working including third party approvals such as change of use of buildings/planning permissions, securing funding, business case approval, planning and other permissions, legal agreements and commercial negotiations.
*List of areas/GP practices that have benefitted from investment in the last 12 months.
- Beaulieu, Chelmsford
- Halstead Heights, Halstead
- Rushbottom Lane, Benfleet
- Rivermead Gate, Chelmsford
- Writtle Surgery, Chelmsford
- Kent Elms, Southend
- Fryerns, Basildon
- Trinity Medical Practice, Mayland
- Aegis Medical Centre, Basildon
- Robert Frew Medical Centre, Wickford
- Maynard Court Surgery, Waltham Abbey
- And two under construction:
- The Gold Street Surgery (Phase 1 – refurbishment) in Saffron Walden,
- The Barfield Road Clinic (Mersea Island Medical Practice) in West Mersea, Colchester