A DATE has been set for the opening of a new Oxford doctors’ surgery to serve more than 13,500 patients.

The Jericho Health Centre will open as part of the £11.5m redevelopment of the old Radcliffe Infirmary site in May.

Oxford University agreed to build a health centre facing Walton Street when it bought the site from the NHS in 2003.

Three surgeries and up to 12 GPs will move into the ground floor of the new building from the current Jericho Health Centre, in Walton Street, and its branch surgery at West Oxford Community Centre.

It will bring together 13,557 patients that fall under the care of surgeries overseen by Dr Judith Bogdanor, Dr Andrew Chivers and Dr Karen Kearley.

Senior partner Dr Kearley said: “The branch surgery was always meant to be a short-term solution and is not suitable in the long term for patient care.

“The new building will enable us to see all our patients in one place and to close the branch surgery.

“We will be holding open day sessions for patients to give them information about the move and to answer any questions or concerns they may have.”

The new facilities will include a larger waiting room with wheelchair access and a dedicated child health clinic room alongside additional clinical rooms, allowing for more appointments.

It will also include drop-off points for patients arriving by car while an extra three wheelchair-accessible spaces will be made available in local streets for short-term parking.

The new ‘super surgery’ will continue to offer all current services in the new building which will include minor operations, coil fittings and drop-in blood test sessions.

Additional health services in the new building will include training, education, visiting consultant services and approved complementary health services.

Nursing services will also be accommodated on the ground floor, and two floors above the health centre the university’s Department of Public Health Care will be relocated from the Rosemary Rue Building in the Old Road Campus, along with new Oxford University Press offices.

Concerns have been raised with the size and height of the three storey building.

Paul Hornby, vice chairman of Jericho Community Association, said there was no doubt of the need for the new centre and the community was pleased it was finally opening.

But he added: “We are concerned with the size of it.

“There are certain aspects of it which we are concerned about which could have been overcome with architectural changes but there you are. We’ll have to live with it.”

An NHS Oxfordshire spokesman said the once old Jericho Health Centre was closed the trust would develop a marketing strategy for the land.