A MILLION-pound multi-purpose health centre is being built in the region which could be the shape of things to come.

Unusually, the £1.5m health centre planned for Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, will include two GP surgeries, a dental surgery, a pharmacy and other community facilities.

The one-stop shop is thought to be one of the first of its kind in the North-East.

The announcement about the new Coundon centre comes on the day that the Government revealed that it is making an extra £65.2m available across England to improve patient access to NHS dental services.

While the Coundon scheme has already got the go-ahead, County Durham health bosses want to bid for a slice of the new cash. "This is a very exciting, positive new development which is going to really benefit local people," said Dr David Landes, director of public health with Durham Dales Primary Care Trust.

The new scheme will replace an outdated 1960s health centre with a large modern building, doubling the amount of space available to health care workers.

Apart from the core medical, dental and pharmaceutical services the new centre will also be a base for the local SureStart child development team.

A community police office will be among the facilities in the centre.

"One of the things local people most wanted to see in their new health centre was a dental practice", said Dr Landes.

The project is being financed and built by Trinity Medical Properties, of Whitburn, near Sunderland, and will be leased to the NHS.

John Sample, managing director of Trinity, said: "We are hoping to make a start in the next month. If all goes according to plan it could be ready by October or November next year."

Last year, Sedgefield Primary Care Trust announced plans to add dental facilities as part of plans to modernise health centres in Chilton, Newton Aycliffe, Shildon and Trimdon.

The Department of Health announcement of extra funds coincided with the success of two North-East dental practices in a national award scheme.

The Zetland House Dental Clinic, in Northallerton, won an award for excellence in treating special needs patients while the Wessington Way Dental Practice, in Sunderland, won an award for excellence in patient involvement.