Pitsea is to have a new doctors' surgery, it has been revealed.

The Government has given the go-ahead for a special scheme to be located in Wickford Avenue.

Basildon Primary Care Trust has been given the green light to operate a surgery from the Dipple Medical Centre's east wing.

Care - the Dipple Medical Centre, which will house the new surgery Picture: MAXINE CLARKE

The facility will provide special support and care for residents of nursing and residential homes and children in the care of the local authority.

The surgery will also provide general medical help to around 1,000 people, and this number is expected to grow in the future.

It is hoped that the new facility will successfully share the centre with two existing practices.

The scheme is one of two successful bids - the other is the Gore Surgery in Basildon - by the trust under the Government's Personal Medical Services scheme.

The initiative is designed to encourage innovation and the development of new services to meet people's needs.

Trust chief executive Mary Ann Munford said: "The scheme gives us the ability to tackle specific local health issues."

Published Thursday, January 2, 2003

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