Work to refurbish a GP practice in a Northumberland village will begin next month.
Meldrum Construction has been appointed to carry out the project to upgrade Northumbria Primary Care’s surgery in Felton.
Now that all planning conditions have been signed off, work is set to start on Monday September 7.
We are hoping to complete the work within six months, but with projects of this nature, delays can happen and the work could take up to eight months.
Abigail Callender, group manager for Northumbria Primary Care, said: “We are very pleased that this work is going to finally begin. We acknowledge that it has taken a long time to get to this stage and we thank patients, our team and stakeholders for their patience and support.
“The upgraded practice will have a significant positive impact on both patient and staff experience. Over the past year we have worked hard to increase the care provision from the surgery and will continue to explore this further when the work is completed. We are always happy to welcome new and returning patients and do hope that our list size increases to enable us to invest more in our Felton practice.”
When Meldrum take over the site in September, they will set up their site cabins and strip out the building so it can be reconfigured for the new layout. Work will be done to install new services, carry out any external building repairs, fit the new windows and install internal walls, ceilings, floors and doors. The new surgery will be decorated and fitted out. Work to transform the existing surgery into the dispensary will then be done.
Floor plans for the refurbished surgery on the practice website (ground floor, first floor).
Meldrum will need to have their site and welfare cabins outside the front of the practice while the work is carried out – this is the only suitable place for them to be located. This area will be securely fenced off and pedestrian access and access to the surgery will be maintained. Access to the surgery will be via the ramp to the right of the existing surgery entrance.
Abigail Callender continued: “We want to assure residents and business owners that all will be done to keep any disruption to a minimum while the work is being carried out. The Meldrum team and their sub-contractors will park their vehicles away from the practice, so they don’t take up parking spaces in this location. We will keep everyone updated in relation to progress.”
It is the intention of the surgery to keep the practice open throughout, and if they need to change the days the surgery is open or opening times, they will let patients know. If for any reason, the practice does need to close temporarily, because of the work, they will also let patients know.
For further information contact cara.charlton@northumbria-healthcare.nhs.uk or 07532 007 082.
Due to a significant rise in construction costs, building a new surgery near Robson Grove was no longer financially viable. As we are responsible for the appropriate use of public funds and ensuring value for money, the decision was made to find a more cost-effective solution while still meeting local healthcare needs.
Northumbria Primary Care (NPC) has purchased the existing Felton surgery building and the adjoining property to ensure primary care services remain in the village. These will be renovated to provide a modern and accessible GP practice. We’ll share further news on our plans in the coming weeks.
Northumbria Primary Care (NPC is managing these changes. Felton and Widdrington surgeries have been part of NPC since August 2023. NPC is a not-for-profit organisation – any surplus money is reinvested into improving patient care.
The planning application was submitted at the end of December 2025. In April 2026, we received confirmation the Northumberland County Council had approved our plans.
Work will start on Monday 7 September 2026. We hope that the work will take six months to complete.
We are very pleased to let you know that we have appointed Meldrum Facilities Ltd. Meldrum are local to the North East. They have offices in both Tyneside and Teesside, and Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has worked with them on various projects.
Yes. The existing surgery will remain open throughout the renovation process. The dispensary service will continue operating in its current space.
We will update patients if they need to change how they access the building as a result of this work.
Yes, you can see them on the page above.
We will be including additional parking to the rear of the surgery for staff in the pre-application for planning permission. They will have access to the practice by a new footpath. This will reduce congestion at the front of the surgery, creating more available parking for patients.
Emergency vehicles will have access to the building in an emergency, but there are no designated ambulance drop-off spaces at the site. This is due to lack of space.
This land is owned by the parish council and any questions relating to it need to be directed to them.
For more information or to ask questions, please check our GP practice website https://www.northumbriaprimarycare.co.uk. You can email queries to nencicb-nor.widdringtonandfelton@nhs.net.
Yes, the PPG will be regularly updated as plans develop. Their and all patient input is valued.
Updates will be shared through multiple channels, including the practice website, in-practice (noticeboards), social media, village newsletters, drop-in sessions and via the PPG/other key stakeholders. Please be assured that we are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way.
The way you contact your practice will remain unchanged.
We have recently increased GP and some other provision at the surgery and are constantly looking at what additional services can be provided.
The level of services provided depends on the number of registered patients. As the local population grows and if the Felton surgery patient list-size grows, it is hoped that services in Felton can expand, enabling further reinvestment into patient care.
While not all appointments can be guaranteed to take place in Felton, the redevelopment aims to increase capacity and improve facilities, which should make it easier to access more services locally. As above, GP provision has increased. This is dependent and based on the number of patients registered at Felton surgery increasing.
The redevelopment of the surgery will ensure services are retained within Felton village and will improve both patient and staff experience. As promised, we are reviewing services we provide in Felton. GP and some other provision have been increased, and the surgery currently has clinics also run by advanced clinical practitioners, practice nurses, district nurses, health care assistants and mental health and wellbeing coaches.
Felton surgery remains part of NPC Felton and Widdrington practice. Most staff will work across both surgeries. This provides workforce resilience.
Yes, a self-service blood pressure monitoring machine is planned as part of the redevelopment, so patients can check their readings easily and regularly.
Yes, and we welcome feedback in relation to what would support the village/wellbeing of residents.
See below for the response from NPC Felton’s PPG
The PPG are delighted that NPC have made the commitment to providing medical services to our community. The purchase and subsequent refurbishment of Middle Farm shows a huge financial undertaking. In doing so, medical services in our community are guaranteed for the long term.
No. Pedestrian access and access to the surgery will stay the same. Meldrum will need to have their site and welfare cabins out the front of the practice, but we don’t expect this to have an impact.
