Horndean Surgery’s eight-year wait for a new home will end on February 3 when it welcomes patients into its purpose-built new premises at 7–11 London Road.

The practice’s senior partner Dr Mark Coombe said: “It’s a dream which has finally come true – but the wait has also been, if we are honest, a bit of a nightmare at times as our plans have dragged.

“The process has just taken much longer than we thought or hoped that it would. My thanks to all our patients over the years, and our staff too.

“Our existing facilities have not been the best and we outgrew them a long time ago.

“But now we have a fresh and exciting new start to look forward to.”

The practice’s existing site – a small converted house in Blendworth Lane – will be disposed of after the relocation.

It was set up in 1968 for 500 registered patients but now has 5,500.

The new site – next to the former Spar shop and below some affordable housing flats – was secured following negotiations with developer Linden Homes.

The new surgery will be three times bigger than the old one and will have adequate space for a number of things that the current building used cannot provide for its patients and staff.

There will be more consulting and treatment rooms, improved training facilities for GPs, increased clinical space for nursing staff, a staff area, a private area for patients, a separate kitchen and a much more appropriately sized waiting room to further improve facilities for patients.

There will also be storage space, conference and meeting facilities, and much improved facilities for patients with a disability, parents with pushchairs and the frail elderly.

The practice will soon be writing to the head of every household at all of its registered patient addresses to inform them of the forthcoming relocation.