14329/01DOCTORS, staff and patients in the Lavington area agreed on Saturday that the five-year wait for their new surgery has been well worthwhile.

After years of making do with cramped conditions at the former surgery in Church Street, they were delighted to see the new facilities at the two-storey building which has been put up on a green-field site on the edge of the village .

The Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Sir Maurice Johnston, who opened the building, said it showed the faith of the doctors who were willing to invest so much in the future of the village.

Sir Maurice, who is a patient at the surgery, said: "There are three things that are important for a village of this size a pub, a shop and a surgery."

Senior partner Dr Jonathan Miller told those attending Saturday's opening ceremony that 100 years ago the village surgery was run by two doctors from Fiddington House, just two doors away from the new premises.

The doctors were also required to attend a private mental asylum in the village.

Since the 1950s the village had had six different surgeries.

The most notable was a caravan in which the doctors had to ensure there were enough people in the waiting room before they could invite a patient into the surgery, so that the caravan did not tip up.

After Sir Maurice cut the ribbon, patients were taken on a guided tour of the new surgery which has been in use for some weeks.

Practice manager Dawn Edwards said: "We started looking for a site for a new surgery five years ago. We had totally outgrown the old premises that were located in two converted cottages.

"It had got very difficult to work with only three consulting rooms and a staff kitchen that was a kettle under the stairs.

"In our new premises we can offer a much improved service to our disabled patients and to parents with pushchairs and we also have a lift to the first floor where we hold clinics."

She said that the waiting room would be a more pleasant environment. Local artists and craftspeople would be offered exhibition space and jewellery, ceramics and paintings, would be for sale.

The surgery has a very active patients' group called the Friends of Lavington Surgery which has donated more than £20,000 to help equip the new surgery. FLAS chairman Les Cornish presented Dr Miller with a cheque for £5,285 which was raised from donations, bequests, coffee mornings and other events.