THE first steps towards building a new doctors' surgery in Loudwater have begun after a six-year wait.

Staff at the Cherrymead Surgery met with their contractors at the site of their new state-of-the-art medical centre in Queensmead Road for the ground-breaking ceremony last Wednesday.

Jackie Jennings, practice manager, said: "It was just to mark that, at long last, things are starting to progress. Admit-tedly it doesn't look like it at the moment. They're tapping into our electric and water and organising on-site cabins, which will arrive in the week after next."

Building work will really start to get underway at the beginning of April when the tarmac will be removed.

The new surgery, which will stand next to the Royal British Legion, will include a large waiting area, more consultation rooms for GPs and nurses, treatment rooms and space for physiotherapists, district nurses and other NHS services.

Car parking at the site, now fenced off, will be replaced when the new surgery opens in mid-December.

Mrs Jennings said: "It's a very momentous day. We have been told for such a long time it will happen, it's been two steps forward and five back and now it's actually forward all the way."

She also wanted to stress to the 9,400 patients that use Cherrymead that the sister surgery in Flackwell Heath will remain open as normal while the work in Loudwater gets underway.

Private development firm Sapphire Primary Care Developments is financing the building, which will then be rented back to the surgery.