Doctors have won a seven-year campaign to replace Didcot health centre, which will be knocked down next month.

Plans for a new £4m health centre, serving 16,500 residents in the town and surrounding villages, were unveiled at a meeting for patients last week.

They heard that demolition of the Britwell Road centre is due to start soon after the May Bank Holiday.

After examining the plans at the meeting, Heather Blakeley, 77, from Didcot, said: "I think it's marvellous and the plans look fantastic.

"It's very important that the health centre is improved."

GPs are moving into a temporary surgery on land at the Civic Hall. The new centre is due to open in May next year.

Practice manager Dr Jackie Mercer said: "We're very relieved that the contract is signed. It will make a lot of people very happy.

"Now we just have to cope with the transition period. It's good that the temporary buildings will be nearby, so people won't have to go to a new place."

The building will include a pharmacy, more consulting rooms, a comfortable waiting room and a patient messaging service.

Dr David Ebbs, who led the campaign for a new practice, said: "For a long time, we've put up with the health centre. I can't even remember how many years it's been since we wanted a new one.

"This place has become very shabby. The new building has been very imaginatively designed.

"It will meet the needs of a multi-professional team of doctors, nurses, counsellors, health visitors and school nurses working from the building."

Funding for the new building is coming from a private developer, who will lease it to the GP practice. The doctors will also part-fund the scheme - to the tune of £300,000.

The new surgery will house all GPs from the current health centre, along with those from the Asbury medical centre, in Trent Road, which will close when the new centre opens.

Dr Ebbs added that the new centre would make up for any disruption caused.