HEALTH chiefs are preparing to submit a planning application for permission to create an all-in-one medical centre.

Derwentside Primary Care Trust (PCT) was initially intending to have two buildings in Stanley town centre, to provide enhanced medical services, as part of a £17m scheme.

The plan had been to replace the trust's health centre, in Clifford Road, with a modern facility and build a second centre on the site of the town's former bus station.

But Derwentside District Council has now offered to sell the trust the Thorneyholme car park site, instead of the bus station.

The car park land would be sold for the same price of £1m, but it would enable all health services in Stanley to be under one roof and be nearer the Sure Start building.

Under the plan, the health centre would be knocked down and used as parking for the medical centre.

If the plan goes ahead, the former bus station, which has been demolished and the site is being cleared, will replace the Thorneyholme car park for visitors to the town centre.

Director of primary care and modernisation for Derwentside PCT Brenda Peppin said: "The district council approached the PCT to ask whether we thought the Thorneyholme car park site would be a suitable alternative to the former bus station site.

"Early indications are that it is not only suitable, but would have a better outcome, as it would allow all the services to be housed in one building and the project would be completed sooner."

Services would include those currently available, such as GP and nursing services, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, family planning, dentistry and hospital outpatient services.

But there will also be a range of additional services, managed by the PCT and provided by practitioners with a special interest, including diabetes clinics, minor surgery, musculo-skeletal services, audiology, outpatients and occupational therapy.

Work is under way to complete site investigations and building designs.

Council leader Councillor Alex Watson said: "If this project goes belly-up, they can still have the old bus station, and they will be back to having two buildings in the town centre.

"But it makes more sense for them to have one site. This is a very, very positive move for Stanley and it is near Sure Start. The two services complement each other very well and it will be less of a financial burden on the PCT.