SNOW and ice could not stop doctors moving into their new state of the art surgery as two of Banbury’s longest running GP practices, Horsefair and West Bar, moved to South Bar House, on the corner of South Bar and Bloxham Road.

The practices, who jointly look after about 35,000 patients, will run separately with two reception areas and waiting rooms.

Both former surgeries were deemed below Government standards to provide healthcare.

The new surgery means GPs will be able to offer more services including physiotherapy and counselling.

For some however, the move was also tinged with sadness — some staff had spent their career in the old buildings.

Dr Jonathan Williams, a partner at Horsefair Surgery, added: “It is going to be with great sadness that we say goodbye to a building doctors have called home for nearly 200 years.

“However, in order to meet the health care needs of the 21st century, we need a building like South Bar House.”

Dr Tim Cherry, also a partner at the Horsefair practice, said: “The new surgery is everything we could have hoped for. It has taken a huge amount of input and support to achieve this fantastic facility.”

Dr John Tasker, a partner at the West Bar Practice said: “The new centre will enable us to continue to improve on our current high standards, practising excellent patient care from safe modern surroundings, giving us the ability to develop as well as setting up new services for our patients.”

Practice director Andrew McHugh said: “The contractors and Assura have been great and were bringing in this enormous project ahead of schedule, but we hadn’t allowed for the snow and laying tarmac is one thing you cannot do in snow.”

Simon Hirst, development director of Assura Group said: “We are delighted to be welcoming the two practices and their patients into the new centre. There is full disabled access and much-needed car parking.

“We have worked closely with the doctors to design a building which provides the best environment for patients and staff and to meet new developments in NHS primary care services now and for a long time to come.”

Both practices will be having an open day for patients on Saturday, for patients to look around the new centre. All telephone numbers remain the same.