A new health centre has finally opened after years of planning.

Green Porch Medical Centre in Green Porch Close, Milton Regis, near Sittingbourne, was opened virtually on Friday by the area's MP Gordon Henderson, and is set to welcome patients towards the end of the month - once it is fully equipped.

Services and staff will then relocate from the current surgery at Lakeside Medical Centre in Todd Crescent, Kemsley.

That practice temporarily took on an extra 3,300 patients after Milton Surgery, in the High Street, closed when the lease ran out in June.

It had been hoped Green Porch Medical Centre would be open by then to take on those patients, but the pandemic delayed building work.

The new health centre will be operated by Green Porch Medical Practice, led by Dr Amechi Adigwe and Dr Ada Eze.

It will serve around 9,000 patients and have six consulting rooms, enhanced treatment facilities and a pharmacy.

Dr Adigwe said: “We are delighted that, after several years of planning, Green Porch Medical Centre is being opened.

“We would like to thank Gordon Henderson in particular for his ongoing support for this exciting new project, and also the councillors and staff of Swale council.”

“The support from NHS Swale Clinical Commissioning Group has been invaluable.”

Swale council gave planning permission to convert the former Green Porch Family and Mediation Centre into a surgery and four bedsits in 2019.

Work included a new single and two-storey extension to create another access and car park.

Dr Eze said: “The new centre provides us with a firm foundation to provide improved facilities for our patients into the future.

"The larger premises will help with improving integration of services for patients with community health service and an on-site pharmacy - thus making it easier for patients to have a one-stop shop for their primary health care services.”

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