Mary HamiltonPatients visiting a medical practice near Norwich can look forward to plush new premises as building work nears completion.Mary Hamilton

Patients visiting a medical practice near Norwich can look forward to plush new premises as building work nears completion.

A single-storey extension to Brundall Medical Practice, in The Dales, should be finished at the end of March, with four new consulting rooms opening up for patients' use.

The surgery will use the additional space to train medical students, allowing them to have a permanent base at the centre, rather than having to use whichever consulting room is vacant.

The �300,000 extension was funded by NHS Norfolk as part of a national scheme to upgrade GP premises, and is one of a number of refurbishments taking place at GP practices across Norfolk.

Practice manager Andy Gray said: 'The new extension has been planned for a long time and we are delighted that we were able to obtain funding.

'Building work began in October 2009 and is due to be completed in March. When it is finished, the additional space will be of benefit to all of our patients.'

NHS Norfolk agreed the extension plans after GPs said there were not enough consulting rooms for the number of patients seen regularly at Brundall, and asked for more capacity to train GPs.

Graham Copsey, NHS Norfolk's assistant director of estates commissioning, said: 'This extension was approved by NHS Norfolk to resolve a number of issues, including a general lack of space at the surgery and to increase the number of GP training places in Norfolk.

'NHS Norfolk is committed to further improving primary care premises, such as GP surgeries and NHS dental practices, to ensure patients are offered health care in modern and appropriate settings.'

Do you have a newsworthy story for the Evening News? Contact Mary Hamilton on 01603 772418 or email mary.hamilton@archant.co.uk