NHS Tayside has vowed to continue investing in Lochee Health Centre and hopes to use it to train student doctors.
The health board took over management of the centre six months ago after the previous partners decided to dissolve the practice as they could not recruit GPs to staff it.
NHS Tayside has employed three GPs for the practice with another two due to start next month and has now unveiled ambitious plans to overhaul the service.
Chief executive Lesley McLay said: “We are fully committed to providing GP services from Lochee Health Centre now and into the future. We understand that patients want to receive as much of their care as possible as close as possible to where they live.
“We want to further improve the range of services available at the practice including offering extended appointment times, introducing support for those living with a chronic disease and providing access to a wide range of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals such as staff from the enhanced community support team, allied health practitioners and pharmacy.
“The current services provided at Lochee Health Centre are being reviewed with a view to providing additional services to support people to live better and manage their long-term health conditions.”
An advanced nurse practitioner is being recruited for the centre “to assess, diagnose and treat many conditions including issuing prescriptions where required.”
She said: “We also want to make contacting the health centre as easy as possible and so we are investing in upgrading the current telephone system and have also appointed an additional two members of staff to join the administration team.”
Ms McLay said NHS Tayside now wants Lochee Health Centre to become “an exemplar teaching and training practice” through the health board’s links with Dundee University.
She said: “At the start of next year, the practice will be introducing medical students who as part of their studies will spend time in the local community alongside GPs. This will also provide GPs with the opportunity to further develop their interest in teaching and training.”
A patient participation group is also being created to allow users of the centre have their say on its future development.
