Spring 2025 announced as opening date for Buckingham's long-awaited new medical centre

The long-awaited new medical centre for Buckingham is finally scheduled to open in 2025, a meeting of Bucks Council’s Health & Social Care Select Committee heard.

The history of the proposed Lace Hill medical centre goes back over a decade. In 2009, land was reserved for a school and healthcare facilities as part of plans for 700 houses at Lace Hill. The houses, school, retail area and care home have all now been built.

In response to a question from Buckingham councillor Robin Stuchbury, chairman Cllr Jane MacBean told the May 11 meeting she had “moderately exciting and positive news”.

She said: “NHS England had paused work in relation to STP funding, which is the capital investment pot being utilised for the Lace Hill project.

"The ICB (integrated care board) has now received formal notification as of April 2023 that work has now restarted and the ICB has confirmed their ongoing support for the project, which is very good news.

"The deadline for spending capital funding, and therefore completion of the project, has been pushed back to March 2025 to allow for this delay."

Cllr MacBean said they were still awaiting formal notification from NHS England regarding approval of the business case “but hopefully that will just be a formality”.

And she added: “Hopefully the building will be complete by March 2025 and services will begin spring 2025 in the new facility, which would be absolutely fantastic news.”

The meeting was attended by Buckingham GP and partner in the Swan Practice, Dr George Gavriel.

A webcast of the meeting is available to view on Bucks Council website.