A LOYAL patient helped to mark the re-opening of a Weymouth doctors’ surgery after a major refurbishment.

Janet Heald, one of Dorchester Road Surgery’s longest registered patients, cut a ribbon to celebrate the official opening of the newly refurbished and expanded surgery.

Also present were represent-atives from the Dorset Primary Care Trust (PCT), the surgery’s patient representative group and staff.

The surgery has acquired the building next door to its original home and was awarded £558,000 from the PCT for its imp-rovements.

Overall, around £850,000 was spent on the refurbishment.

The new look general practice now has a lighter look, better parking and access, four new consulting rooms, a district nurse room, a minor operations room and a meeting room. A new lift was also added.

The surgery has also welcomed a new GP partner, Dr Rowan Jones, from Lyme Regis.

Dr Wayne Knight, one of the practice’s partners, said the general practice now looks like a ‘state-of-the-art modern general practice premises ready to provide the highest level of care’.

He added: “The building work had been going on for the best part of a year and was done in phases.”

Dr Knight said the opening ceremony was a chance to thank everyone for their patience while the building work was being done.

He added: “It was very appropriate to have Janet Heald cut the ribbon because she has been with the surgery since the beginning.

“The partners would like to thank many people for their patience and commitment to the project. Our staff and patients had to endure some very tough times while the building evolved around us.

“We’d also like to thank the team at the PCT for believing in us and investing valuable resources in the building.”