Cardinal Medical Practice in Ipswich set to take over former Inkerman pub in Norwich Road
Plans for a new GP surgery in Ipswich have taken a major step forward – and may have sealed the fate of a vacant pub.
Cardinal Medical Practice is set to take over the former Inkerman pub in Norwich Road, the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (SNEE ICB) has confirmed.
The surgery was originally supposed to be located at the former Tooks Bakery site, in Old Norwich Road, before plans were scrapped in October.
It is being built to address concerns at other GP surgeries run by Cardinal Medical Practice, primarily long wait times.
Jack Abbott, MP for Ipswich, welcomed the news.
He said: “I know how frustrated local residents are about having to endure the the dreaded ‘8am scramble’ and the difficulty that they have in getting a GP appointment.
“We need to fix the front door of the NHS and our Government has made crucial strides in bringing back the family doctors including the recruitment of 1,500 GPs and the biggest investment in GP facilities our country has seen for years.
“However, we need a big change locally too, so I am pleased that, after a number of false dawns, we look set to improve GP services in north west Ipswich.
“If these plans are made a reality, then people should finally receive the treatment they need, when they need it.”
The Inkerman has lain dormant since 2022 and was most recently taken over by Musk Pubs Clubs Bars Limited.
SuffolkNews reported in 2023 that Simon Musk, the company’s owner, hoped to reopen it by Christmas that year, but this never happened and the pub’s future remained in limbo.
Speaking with BBC Radio Suffolk, Patrick Spencer, MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, expected work on the site to begin by Christmas.
"We have identified a site on the intersection of Castle Hill and the Ipswich constituency border and we are still hopeful," he said.
"I haven't been given a reason to think that target is not attainable and it is still my hope that there will be expanded surgery capacity by Easter next year.
"It is a complex process to get there and but we have a target and we are going after it – if I had a magic wand, I'd wave it and a new surgery would pop up."
A spokesperson for SNEE ICB described the plans as an exciting opportunity to improve healthcare in north-west Ipswich, despite being in the early stages.
They added: “We remain committed to working with the practice and local patients to ensure they are provided with facilities that meet their needs.”
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