A SURGERY has opened to patients and staff after a £1m redevelopment that has taken two years.

North House Surgery in Crook, is now open to the public after the second stage of construction was finished this week.

Randall Orchard Construction, which took over the job in April 2003, provided temporary accommodation for doctors, while the rear of the existing practice was demolished to make way for the new development.

Phase one, a single-storey u-shaped building with a central courtyard, was finished in March last year, with the temporary doctor's rooms relocated to be used as a reception.

The remainder of the building was demolished to allow the construction of a two-storey building, which completes the final wing of the courtyard.

Practice manager Denise Simpson said: "This has been a real challenge to try to keep working as normally as possible while the building went through massive changes.

"Now the work is complete, we have a superb new medical centre that provides a first-class facility for the doctors and patients."

Randall Orchard Construction has completed several projects for Trinity Medical Properties, which was commissioned by the GPs in partnership with Durham Dales Primary Care Trust.

Project manager for Randall Orchard Construction, Anne Singleton, said: "This was a major redevelopment to a busy working practice.

"We kept the disruption as minimal as possible for the doctors and patients in, at times, difficult circumstances."