A stretched Sutton doctors’ surgery that can’t expand its two branches is actively looking to bring its services under one new roof.

Cheam Family Practice, which sees more than 13,000 patients, can’t take on more appointments or recruit more clinicians because there’s “no room” to develop.

Problems such as overflowing waiting rooms, patients' confidential conversations potentially being overheard, and the inability to improve disabled access have been emphasised.

Now there are concerns staying put could affect whether the doctors’ surgery can continue to be recognised as a training practice.

Cheam Family Practice, which has sites in Gander Green Lane and Parkside, is consulting patients over the coming months on their proposed new location.

Once a place has been found and the surgery receives official backing from the NHS, a planning application will be submitted next year.

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The Elmbrook branch in Gander Green Lane. Photo: Google Maps / Street View

Practice manager Nick Cornish said: “We have no space for training or meetings, and limited staff facilities. Also, in the event of staff absences, with two sites, effective business resilience is difficult to achieve and we sometimes have to cancel clinics.

“This inconvenience to patients could be avoided at a single site.

“We also need room for expansion to continue to be recognised as a training practice, and we are very limited in how we can contribute to NHS goals to provide primary care services at scale, or improve and extend the range of services we provide.”

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The Parkside branch. Photo: Google Maps / Street View

While Mr Cornish admits patients like the “familiarity” of the practice, he insists the future premises will be “carefully designed”.

People registered will remain on the list – unless they opt out – and it’s understood some may be able to get to the new site better than others.

However, the aim is to find the “best possible and most accessible” one available, with the Sutton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) having leant support.

Cheam Family Practice is currently getting feedback from patients as part of the consultation process and people are urged to complete their questionnaire.

Questions include the biggest disadvantages to the two sites, whether a new surgery would benefit patients, and how people get to the current branches.

The doctors' surgery has six doctors on its books, plus an additional 33 members of staff - including salaried GPs, administrative and reception staff, as well as practice nurses.

You can access the questionnaire here.