WORK begins today on a multi-million pound health centre that is designed to revitalise services for thousands of patients in north Gwent.

The Brynmawr Resource Centre for Health Services has been several years in the planning and has attracted £3.6 million of funding from the Welsh Government.

Such developments are often dubbed 'super surgeries' - but in reality they offer a much broader range of services than those provided by GPs.

In addition to the new doctors’ surgery on the site - on Blaenavon Road, Brynmawr - there will be a pharmacy, community dental services, a range of therapies, community nursing and health visiting, and screening services.

Judith Paget, chief executive of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, said: "It’s great to see the project getting underway.

"The new development will provide modern, purpose-designed premises which will allow us to bring services together in a single location, improve access for patients and help us deliver more care closer to home.”

The new development will also provide modern, adaptable premises which will allow for future integration of services.

Blaenau Gwent AM Alun Davies, who will cut the first 'sod', said the project "will enable the delivery of healthcare to patients from first class modern premises on our doorstep.”

The centre, which should be completed by the end of the year, will bring together two existing GP surgeries - catering for more than 14,000 patients - on one site.

Situated close to the Blaen-y-Cwm primary school, it will provide facilities fit for purposes of delivering modern healthcare, thus solving the problems faced by GP services at existing sites, such as lack of parking, lack of space of consultations, and no space for expansion.