An ambitious project to build a multi-purpose medical centre to cater for Borehamwood's growing population has fallen through, it emerged this week.

Instead of a £1million centre where doctors, dentists, opticians and Hertsmere's health bosses would work together, there will now only be a doctor's surgery at the Boulevard 25 shopping centre. Boulevard 25's landlord, Hercules Properties, was prepared to build the centre and rent it to doctors from the Grove Road Surgery, who would then sub-let parts of the building to other healthcare providers.

The doctors need to find a new base because their current practice is in a converted house, which is too small for the extra patients they expect to take on over the next few years.

Hertsmere Primary Care Trust (PCT), which provides healthcare for all of the borough's NHS patients, had also planned to take over offices at the new building.

But Bernard Davy, Boulevard 25's manager, said his company was unable to carry out the project because some of the sub-tenants had not signed contracts to take up the rest of the building. "It is disappointing that it fell through, but it is good that the surgery is getting new premises," he said.

Under the new plan, a single-storey doctor's surgery will be built on land next to the Lidl supermarket, instead of the two-storey medical centre, which would have been built next to the Allied Carpets store.

"The doctor's surgery have told us they don't want to bring in sub-tenants any more, but they are happy to commit themselves to a purpose-built building for themselves," said Mr Davy.

Karen Story, the practice manager at the Grove Road Surgery, was delighted that her practice was still moving to new premises, but added: "It is disappointing that the original plans fell through.

"We no longer have the dentists or offices for the Hertsmere Primary Care Trust, it will just be a surgery for our patients."

Under the new plan the surgery will still have capacity to take on 10,000 patients, catering for the people who will move into the large housing estates due to be built in Borehamwood.

Hertsmere PCT's chief executive Jacqueline Clark said that, instead of taking up offices at the new centre, her Borehamwood staff would carry on working out of the Elstree Way clinic.

She hoped that eventually the PCT's Elstree Way clinic would be moved to the former Furzehill School site, which would be more central and offer better facilities than the dated Elstree Way clinic.

Hertsmere Borough Council Leader Neil Payne, who is in charge of health policies, said: "It is very disappointing if it is not going ahead."

June 27, 2002 12:00