PLANS to get a new medical centre in Caister are continuing to gather momentum with a meeting between the scheme's main backer and local doctors.Borough councillor Marie Field will meet Chris Thompson and Jonathan Knights, practice managers at the village's Branford Road and West Road surgeries respectively, on Tuesday to discuss her proposal for a new centre on playing fields at the bottom of St Nicholas Drive.

PLANS to get a new medical centre in Caister are continuing to gather momentum with a meeting between the scheme's main backer and local doctors.

Borough councillor Marie Field will meet Chris Thompson and Jonathan Knights, practice managers at the village's Branford Road and West Road surgeries respectively, on Tuesday to discuss her proposal for a new centre on playing fields at the bottom of St Nicholas Drive.

She has been campaigning with fellow borough councillor Pat Hacon to persuade Great Yarmouth and Waveney NHS to build the new centre to provide more space and facilities than the village's two existing surgeries, which would be incorporated at St Nicholas Drive.

The other aim was to provide a facility closer to home for Caister patients with mobility problems who find it difficult to get to Nelson Medical Centre in Yarmouth. This journey could prove even longer in future as the Nelson centre is set to move from its current Churchill Road home to a new facility in Cobholm.

The appeal is supported by the two practice managers and Mr Thompson said although his surgery could cope with its current 3,700 patients, he feared for the future if Caister's population grew.

However, Mr Knights said he preferred to site any new medical centre next to Tesco's in Yarmouth Road as this would suit the majority of patients at his West Road surgery.