Building work has started on a new state-of-the-art health centre in Gilstead.

The new health centre in Warren Lane will become the home of The Oak Glen Surgery, headed by partners Dr Aziz Hafiz and Dr Sarah Whitfield.

Building work is expected to be completed in September and the practice will relocate from Bingley Health Centre in Myrtle Place.

Dr Whitfield said: “I am delighted the new building is now underway. We have worked with our patients and the primary care trust since 2006 to realise this vision.

“It will enable us to offer a comprehensive range of services close to home.”

The purpose built health centre on the Oak Glen housing development, next door to Eldwick Primary School, will provide services including early morning and late evening surgeries, family planning, minor surgery, phlebotomy and physiotherapy.

There will also be a pharmacist on site and the surgery will include provision for nurses and other healthcare staff. The developers Ernest Wilson are also looking to have a dentist on the site.

Drs Hafiz and Whitfield are keen for the practice to play a part in the local community and a competition is planned for the local primary school pupils to design some of the artwork for the new building.

Dr Hafiz said: “Despite the role of a GP changing over recent years the practice prides itself on an ethos of traditional family medicine.”

The move has the backing of members of the practice’s patient forum, including Martin Proctor, who said: “These days many people never see the same doctor twice, we are very fortunate in having a traditional one to one relationship with our family doctor.”

Another patient Mrs Gillian Perris stated “It is great to have a surgery in the heart of the community; it will allow many in the village to leave their cars at home.”