The first pictures of a town's new multi-million pound surgery have been revealed.

The new Ivy Court Surgery building in Tenterden is taking shape ahead of its opening next month.

Plans for the ambitious expansion project were confirmed in November 2018, with work starting in July the following year.

It is thought that the new three-storey building will be able to serve an extra 2,000 patients, many of whom are expected from new housing developments in the area.

This would bring the surgery's capacity to just shy of 17,000 patients.

Expansion works had been expected to finish this autumn, however the unexpected eruption of Covid-19 halted work for a period.

While the construction has been ongoing, the surgery has been working out of the neighbouring East Cross Clinic and temporary buildings.

However, the surgery confirmed that the building will be opening next month in a Facebook post today.

The new pharmacy department within the building is rumoured to be opening as soon as Monday, February 8, with the rest of the surgery to follow soon after – although this has yet to be confirmed.

The work on the new building had been expected to finish in the autumn of last year, but was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The "contemporary" facility will provide specialist services for sufferers of asthma and diabetes, and rehabilitation needs will also be a key focus of the enhanced medical centre.

Read more: All the latest news from Tenterden