A é3M health centre is standing empty because GPs are locked in a legal battle with health bosses.

Manchester's new Openshaw centre is part of a government scheme, using private finance arrangements, to replace old and run-down surgeries nationwide.

The O'Driscoll practice was due to transfer into the state-of-the-art buildings, also intended to house counselling services, complimentary therapies and community meetings, in November.

But now a row has blown up over who gets what space in the new building, which has already delayed the move by five weeks.

And Dr Gary O'Driscoll has had to send a letter to patients trying to explain to them what is going on.

He writes: "Not only have we had to postpone the move, but also we are not in a position to say when the move will be.

"When we designed the building, the advice and experience of the senior doctors told us to plan for the future.

"We added extra rooms to the surgery to allow us to develop, to be able to expand, to take on new patients and to offer new facilities.

"However, the delay we face is due to the fact the local Primary Care Trust has decided they will take over the extra rooms in the surgery and use them for their own purposes.

Facilities

"We do not have any concerns over this in the short term. However, the trust will not confirm that we can use these rooms in future for our patients.

"All the staff and myself have been working towards the new facilities for our patients for six years. Our solicitors have advised us that if we move in before securing the rooms for our patients' use, we will lose all extra capacity and not be able to change things.

"We are therefore determined not to move until the complete care of our patients is guaranteed for the next 30 years, not just for the next few months."

The Openshaw centre, in Ashton Old Road, is just round the corner from the old run-down surgery building in Capital Road. It was designed to house the five GPs, as well as a range of clinics.

Patient Duncan Edwards said: "The doctors provide a great service from less than ideal premises. It is very disappointing that after spending so much of the taxpayers' money on facilities for patients, the health trust now choose to keep it empty because they want more office space." Coun Basil Curley, the city council's executive member for health and social care, is furious at the delay. He has called an emergency meeting with both sides early this month.

"I am very disappointed that such a fantastic facility is standing empty," he said. "This new clinic will give the practice four times their current space as well as providing extra care to people from an area with a terrible history of ill-health."

A spokeswoman for the trust, formed following a merger last year, said: "The original plan was for the building to open with the GP practice installed in mid-November.

"Other community health services would have moved in after this date, as the practice is the priority. The building is not exclusively for the use of the practice. The building will give the practice considerably more space than they currently have and of a much higher standard.

"There is ample room for practice expansion. There has been a slight delay in moving the practice into it while the lease details are finalised.

"We are now considering moving in the community services early this month, ahead of the practice, so that the facility can opened for use."

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