THE Duchess of Cornwall is coming to Chippenham to officially open a new £4m medical centre.

She will be unveiling the plaque at the Hathaway Medical Centre, which welcomed patients through its doors for the first time this week, on February 12.

The Hathaway development, built on the site of the former Allington Boys School in Middlefield Road was completed in only nine months, and has been set up to provide patients with a range of health services in the same location.

It will therefore reduce the need for people to make additional visits to the hospital, health centre, pharmacy and dentist and it comes with 14 consulting rooms, two treatment rooms, a minor operations theatre and extra office accommodation.

Senior partner Dr Tony Wright said: "The move has gone very well and the feedback from patients since we opened on Monday has been very positive.

"They have commented on the better parking and waiting facilities and everyone seems to be saying how light and airy it is, and it is definitely a good environment for both patients and staff."

The existing Hathaway Surgery in New Road is staying open but will have reduced services, and is closed for the next four weeks while refurbishment work is carried out.

It will be open every morning five days a week and staffed by the doctors and nurses in rotation, giving the practice's 13,000 patients the choice of whether to attend New Road or the medical centre.

But people needing urgent care will have to attend the Middlefield Road site.

Dr Wright said: "At New Road we were bursting at the seams, but now we have now got the space that we need, but patients still get to choose which site they want to go to.

"This new set-up gives us the opportunity to develop and adapt to new demands when they come up."

The Duchess will be arriving at Hathaway Medical Centre at around 10.30am on February 12.

For information about the centre visit www.hathawaysurgery.co.uk