Cambridge Medical Centre’s directors, from left: Dr Paul Stephens, Dr Clare Hamilton and Dr David Smylie in front of renovations to the practice which will allow for more staff and specialist cover in town. Absent: Dr John Russell.
The Cambridge Medical Centre is undergoing renovations, a reflection of the changing needs of the town. The expansion to the centre will allow for the appointment of three additional general practitioners (GPs) to the practice, business manager Wendy Harris explained.
“We were just getting busier and busier,” Wendy said, so the practice jumped at the chance to put in extra rooms when the opportunity arose to purchase the house next door. “The expansion will enable us to use all of the consult rooms in the main building as consult rooms, not for administration,” Wendy said.
But finding staff to fill the position might be tough, she added. “The GP workforce is aging – trying to get GPs to work in any practice is quite a challenge, even in Cambridge, so we are trying a number of avenues to attract GPs to our team.”
The expansion will also enable the centre to bring in more specialists to save patients a trip to Hamilton. “We will be partnering with them (the specialists) to bring them here,” she added.
Further to the changing needs of the patients, the practice will also be adding two extra late closing times from next month. In addition to the current Wednesday option, they will be adding late nights on Mondays and Thursdays. It’s all part of the changing face of Cambridge, and the Cambridge Medical Centre – which was established 44 years ago by Dr Paul Stephens – is no exception. The practice started in Bryce St, moving to its current location on Alpha St in around 1981, just after Dr Ian McCullough came on board. “There’s been huge growth in the town and huge demand, and we’re very conscious that we’re having difficulty meeting it at the moment,” Paul said.
The expansion, being undertaken by Kit Markin Homes, is expected to be finished in October.
