A RANGE of options are being weighed up to help Haddington’s doctors cope with the booming population.

More than 1,000 houses are being built on the town’s western edge, with Haddington’s population expected to increase substantially in the coming years.

That has led to questions being asked as to how the current doctors’ surgery, on Newton Port, will cope with the increase in people.

Fiona-Frances Adam, one of the town’s community councillors, raised the issue with councillors.

She asked: “What are they going to be doing?

“Are they going to extend the surgery with all the incoming people?

“They are stretched.”

Land was previously earmarked for a new doctors’ surgery to be created on the site of the new East Lothian Community Hospital, which is currently being built on the site of the former Roodlands Hospital.

The new hospital is expected to be complete in 2020 but no planning application has been submitted for a GP surgery at any site in the town, including the hospital and within the new Letham Mains development, which is sandwiched between the B6471 and the A6093.

Jan Wilson, chairwoman of the community council, said: “Where the surgery is at the moment is central.

“I think as far as I am led to believe there is supposed to be a doctors’ surgery in the Letham Main development.”

A spokeswoman for East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership told the Courier that discussions had been taking place with Haddington GPs on how to support the growing population for “some time”.

She said: “The new housing is phased, which enables us to plan ahead.

“At the moment we are still looking at a range of options.

“Of course, the focus on greater multi-disciplinary working coming in now with the new GP contract will allow patients much greater flexibility and swifter access to the right clinical professional at surgeries and other local settings.”

Provost John McMillan, a councillor for Haddington and Lammermuir ward, said planning the development of any future health facility had to be carefully weighed up.

Mr McMillan also noted the variety of services which would be included within the new £70 million hospital.

He said: “It is the same issues around working with a town that has got a good town square and you need to look at car parking.

“We are looking at that in a measured way and working in partnership.

“It is the same with families with young children coming in and an ageing population.

“You have to look at schools and the health service as well.”