HEADINGTON’S oldest GP surgery could get a £1.1m expansion to deal with ever-increasing patient numbers and demands on family doctors.

The Manor Surgery in Osler Road is one of Oxford’s biggest practices, with about 14,500 patients.

Now the GP practice, which was founded in 1908, is hoping to get planning permission to help expand the practice and “meet ever-rising demand”.

The current building was built in 1981 and was subsequently expanded in 1993.

It is hoped that the next expansion will provide more examination rooms and possibly space for cardiography, radiology and ultrasound facilities.

Top News

Dr Gerald Sacks, who has worked for the trust for 46 years, said that the expansion is necessary to cater for rising demand.

The Eynsham resident said: “The first thing to say is that the number of patients has increased in quite a meteoric way in the last three years.

“We’ve gone from 12,500 to 14,500 in the last two years, and there has been no real expansion of Headington.

“The surgery is already busy, with every room being used almost constantly.

“We can’t hire any new doctors because they wouldn’t have the space to see the patients.

"That's why we need to expand.”

The GPs have asked Oxford City Council for permission to put up a two storey extension, which is expected to cost at least £1.1m.

About £770,000 of the money will be coming from a Government fund awarded to the surgery in May.

The rest of the money will be provided by the surgery itself.

Dr Sacks said: “With the expansion of the surgery and the bringing in of seven-day GP opening times, the space and the proximity to the John Radcliffe Hospital may lead us to collaborate with some patients.

“There is every possibility that you might have GPs triaging patients on a weekend from A&E.

“One of the problems we have in Oxford is an out-of-hours service but it is in Cowley, so a lot of people will think instead of having to get through secretaries they will go straight to the JR and get seen, even if they have to wait hours for trivial things like tinnitus and earwax.

“A lot of people, about a third, don’t need to be seen in A&E, so in that case GPs can triage the patients.

"As thesurgery is so close to the hospitals that process will be a lot easier.”

Fellow Manor Surgery GP and chairman of the Oxfordshire clinical commissioning group Dr Joe McManners, and said: “We have a growing population in this part of the city and we need to start looking to the future. We are also keen to look into what our surgery can provide the hospitals.”

Cllr Roz Smith, who is a patient at the surgery, welcomed the extension plans. She said: "At the end of the day it is an independent business which is undergoing massive change."