Work is set to start on converting a community hall and building a new, dedicated, medical practice
Temporary cabins round the back of the Hythe Centre in Thorpe Road will be replaced by a full medical centre (image Google)
Years of patients being treated by doctors in temporary cabins could soon be coming to an end as work starts on a new medical centre.
The Egham Hythe Centre in Thorpe Road, Egham, was sold by Runnymede Borough Council to Prime PLC in 2024 after efforts to boost the hall’s usage were unsuccessful.
In its place will be the new purpose-built home for the Hythe Medical Centre, which had been operating out of cabins at the site’s rear.
The cost of the deal has been kept secret, and the council has delayed the publication of its annual accounts, but it has previously reported spending £240,000 a year subsidising the building and the services offered to the community.
The council had considered operating the centre as a hub that included a health centre but its financial position eventually meant it pushed forward with a full sale.
It means there will be less space for community events in the area but creates a permanent space for the Hythe Medical Practice, which serves around 7,600 patients.
The council has said the redevelopment, expected to be completed in summer 2027, will create a modern, expanded medical centre that provides significantly improved accommodation for patients and staff.
The project is being delivered by specialist health and care developer Prime in partnership with Newcore Capital, Hythe Medical Centre and NHS Surrey and Sussex Integrated Care Board with the land purchased from Runnymede Borough Council.
Councilllor Robert King, Co-Leader of Runnymede Borough Council, said: “We promised to secure better healthcare for Egham Hythe and Pooley Green.
Completing this sale moves us a big step closer to delivering that promise. For 15 years, patients here have been seen in temporary buildings. That was not good enough, and this is the moment it starts to change.
“This building can do far more for our community as a modern GP surgery and will allow space for other health services to be built around the practice. That is exactly the investment local people deserve.”
Dr Khurshid, GP Partner, Hythe Medical Centre, said: “After years of caring for patients from temporary cabins, we’re thrilled to see work begin on a bright, purpose-built surgery that everyone in Egham Hythe and surrounding areas can be proud of.
“Our new home will allow us to provide more services at a local level to our community, so that patients young and old can access the care they need, close to home, for generations to come.”