New Angmering surgery - sneak preview

The centre, at The Thatchway, will officially open to the public next Tuesday, but on Thursday and on Tuesday the doors were opened, allowing a throng of people to take a first look at the new building.

Janet Rogers, practice manager of the new surgery, said: "It's great to see so many people interested in the centre. The people of Angmering have waited for a decent doctors' surgery for around 20 years and now it's here.

"It will provide up-to-date medical facilities in a purpose-built building and provide the sort of facilities that are expected of a modern-day surgery."

The centre replaces the existing cramped surgery at Cumberland Road and includes practice nurse clinics, a minor operations theatre and midwifes' clinic.

It will still be run in tandem with the Coppice surgery in Rustington, with six doctors and five nurses working between the two buildings.

Currently the two surgeries have more than 7,000 patients on their books but Janet said that the new building would allow at least an extra 3,000 to join them but pointed out that if this did happen, new doctors and nurses would also have to be recruited.

One woman looking forward to using the centre's midwifery service is 28-year-old Kerri Jenner of Green Acres Ring, Angmering.

Her second child is due in June and she hopes to be visiting the centre with her new arrival and three-and-a-half-year-old son Jack.

"It's a really nice building," said Kerri. "It's nice and bright and modern, just the sort of place that I would be happy to bring my children.

"There's a good sized car park but because it's so central to the village many people will be able to walk down which is great."

Richard Pitt, 73, is a former Angmering parish councillor and helped lead the campaign for a new surgery to be built in the village.

"I can't believe it's actually happened," he said. "Everyone's so excited about it and the building really is fantastic."

However, not everybody has greeted the new surgery with such enthusiasm.

Two weeks ago the Gazette reported that vandals had smashed windows and thrown mud at the walls of the building, damage which was still on show for the visitors to see.

"It's such a shame that that happened," said Janet Rogers. "The service has been provided for the people of Angmering and I don't understand why people would want to damage it. It's mindless vandalism and has caused a lot of inconvenience and extra work."

But the minor cosmetic damage to the building did not quell the excitement of the crowds of patients, young and old, who took a first peek at their new village surgery '” 20 years in the making and well worth the wait.