Considerations being made to alternative staff parking options ahead of Harborough surgery construction

Thoughts are in motion over alternative staff parking provision as Harborough Medical Centre undergoes construction.

Next month, building work will begin at the Coventry Road surgery, to create six new consultation rooms for GPs and three for pharmacy consultations. The building works are needed to accommodate the growth in staff over recent years and to help with increasing demand. The works are set to take around 44 weeks but will result in the loss of the staff car park.

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien had a meeting with the centre’s practice manager who revealed there were 29,000 patients on its books - making it one of the largest surgeries in the area, with more appointments taking place every day than a few years back.

Mr O’Brien said: “The extension will enable more staff to be taken on, creating many more appointments which will help cope with the effect of an ageing population, which is increasing demand.

“The building work will of course create some disruption, the biggest being the loss of the surgery’s staff car park which will be used as a compound during the construction work. In total 28 staff car parking spaces will lost, meaning GPs, receptionists and anyone who works at the surgery have nowhere to park for around 44 weeks.”

He has approached Harborough District Council to help come up with a solution to finding staff alternative parking.

A council spokesperson said: “We have acknowledged the request from Neil O’Brien MP and are considering how the council might be able to help.”