A MULTI-MILLION-POUND doctors' surgery which will house nine GPs along with a pharmacy, drop-in centre and physiotherapy practice is to open its doors today.

The new Lister House Surgery, in St Thomas Road, Pear Tree, will serve 15,000 patients and is significantly larger than the one in Harrington Street which it replaces.

That building was badly damaged by fire in May and doctors have been operating out of temporary premises ever since.

The opening of the new building is a second boost for the surgery team, who were last week given a Celebrating Success award by NHS Derby City PCT for their hard work getting services back up and running following the fire.

Dr John Spincer said: "I can't believe it's happening. The old Lister House was squeezed and there were two portable buildings, used by nurses."

In comparison, the new surgery has 16 consulting rooms, for use by nine GPs and seven nurses.

The surgery will also employ a mental health nurse, a counsellor, 15 receptionists and eight members of administrative staff ranging from managers to secretaries.

Other features include a minor-operation suite where procedures such as injections for arthritis and mole-removals will take place.

These procedures were carried out at the old surgery but there was not a room dedicated to them.

Dr Spincer said: "The room has the potential for other things in the future, such as internal examinations of patients using cameras, although there are no plans for anything like that at present."

The surgery is expected to be so in demand that it has a dedicated call centre which will see four members of staff taking calls for both Lister House and its branch surgery, Oakwood Medical Centre.

On the top floor of the three-storey building is a training and conference room.

It will be used to give classes to medical students and trainee doctors, between one and two of which will train at the surgery at any one time.

It will also be hired out for conferences.

Dr Spincer said: "At our old practice we didn't have a room where more than three of us could meet."

The building is owned by private healthcare company OneMedical, which has given the NHS GPs a 20-year lease.

There will be a private physiotherapy company, Active Total Health, in the basement of the building.

Next to the main entrance will be Pear Tree Pharmacy, which will open for 100 hours a week, beginning later in the month.

And Derby Open Access Centre, which offers a drop-in GP service seven days a week, will move to the building from Derbyshire Royal Infirmary. It is set to open at 8am on Tuesday, June 30.