PLANS to relocate a Basingstoke GP surgery into an office building have been welcomed by the borough's MP. 

As previously reported, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) announced that it is considering relocating Chineham Medical Practice to Dame Mary Fagan House, in Lutyens Close, where administrative and clerical staff from the surgery are already working.

The ICB announced it is considering the move after Hampshire County Council said it is looking to lease further floors of the building or sell it. 

Last year, the ICB approved plans for the surgery to relocate to Jameson House, also in Lutyens Close, which would have seen a wing added to the building in a multi-million-pound development.

READ MORE: Chineham Medical Practice could relocate to office block

However, the plans fell through in February this year following months of planning and almost two years of talks, with the ICB saying the move would not go ahead because it did not represent “value for money”.

The ICB is looking to relocate the surgery because its current site in Reading Road is no longer large enough and does not meet the needs of the growing population.

Now, a spokesperson for the ICB said it is “exploring” the option of relocating to Dame Mary Fagan House.

Maria Miller, Basingstoke's MP, said: "This announcement is a welcome development. 

"Dame Mary Fagan House is a three-story office building, located in Lutyens Close, only a short drive from the centre of town. 

"Finding new accommodation for the Chineham Medical Practice is a key priority for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board.

"Dame Mary Fagan House is already used by some administrative and clerical staff from Chineham Medical Practice; so it appears to be the ideal place for the practice to relocate.  

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‘’Our town has grown massively in recent decades and it is so important that local services keep pace with this sustained population growth. Nowhere is this more important than with healthcare.

"Whilst it is fantastic that our town has secured a new £900 million hospital as part of the Government’s new hospital building programme, we must also ensure that Basingstoke continues to have first-rate GP provision.

"Finding a new larger site for Chineham Medical Centre is one further step towards this goal.’’