Dept Of Health Invests £1.5m In Keady GP Surgery

The Department of Health has announced an investment of £1.5 million in Willowbank GP Surgery in Keady, Armagh.

The GP surgery has now moved to a new larger premises, adjoining Keady Day Centre on Annvale Road, allowing it to provide greater services to patients locally.

The new two-story construction comprises eight consulting rooms for GPs and practice nurses; four treatment / phlebotomy rooms and enhanced administration facilities. The development was taken forward by the Practice and the Southern Health and Social Care Trust.

The surgery is now also a GP training practice, facilitating the training of Queen's University Belfast medical students at the surgery. Its status as a training practice had been relinquished in recent years due to space restrictions at its former premises.

Dr Kate Murray said: "I have only recently joined the practice as a new partner and coming into a rural practice in Northern Ireland I find this lovely new building provides ease of access for patients, especially with parking facilities and particularly for those patients with mobility difficulties. I feel we still retain the sense of community even though we are slightly further out of the town."

Phil Fletcher, Patient, commented: "The new surgery premises on the Annvale Day Centre site provide excellent facilities for the patients of Willowbank. It will be a great asset for Keady patients and will serve the area well in the years ahead."

Elaine Hunter, Programme Director at the Department of Health, said: "Supporting investment in GP practices is a key priority for the DoH. More than £7.5 million of funding has been provided across the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area in the last five years, to increase capacity within primary care premises. I was delighted to visit the practice to see and hear about the significant benefits of the investment."