HEALTH MINISTER TO OPEN CLINIC EXTENSION
Created extra space for community nursing services in Rossington

13 July 2006

A £300,000 extension to a Doncaster doctors' surgery and clinic will be officially opened on Friday (14 July) by health minister and local MP Caroline Flint.

The project, funded by Doncaster East Primary Care Trust (PCT), has created extra space for new community based health services to be provided at Rossington's West End Clinic, including continence and leg ulcer clinics and a community drug rehabilitation programme which is set to start next week.

The practice, which is based on West End Lane and has been run by Dr Ashok Taneja since 1995, now has 3,500 patients and employs three family doctors.

Caroline Flint, who is Minister of State for Public Health, said: "It is a great pleasure to open the clinic extension. The extra space created at the clinic means more services taking place right here in the community, from out-patient clinics, to mother and baby clinics.

"It is also essential that modern health professionals work in nice,
modern surroundings, another aim achieved by this extension."

A key aim of the building programme was to provide extra space for district nurses and community matrons who previously had to share accommodation at the neighbouring Rossington Practice on Grange Lane.

Dr Taneja said: "Having the nursing team based at our surgery is improving the care we provide for our patients because we can communicate much quicker. The health visitors also now have more space to run baby clinics and health education sessions which is another big benefit for patients."

The extension has created:
– An additional treatment room;
– health education/baby clinic room;
– office space for 10 community nursing staff, including community matrons; and
– extra waiting room space and a kitchen area serving the whole building.

Doncaster East PCT own the single storey building. Chief Executive Christine Boswell, said: "We want to provide more health services closer to where people live and the extra space we have created at the clinic will enable health care professionals to do just that. By delivering more services in primary care - at community locations like family doctors' surgeries - we can identify health problems earlier and provide faster treatments that avoid people having to go to hospital."