A trip to the GP used to follow a simple formula: a list of symptoms, a prescription from the doctor and instructions to take a pill twice a day. Community practices, often in a poky terraced house, were dark and unwelcoming.
You may have noticed in recent years, however, that your neighbourhood surgery has disappeared. In its place, a large, modern health centre — often with a pharmacy attached — may have sprung up. Patients can have a blood test, see a dietician and get their teeth checked with a dentist. They may even be offered minor surgery.
This shift towards larger facilities, allowing more patients to avoid a visit to overstretched hospitals, has spawned a new market for real estate investors.
Developers are attracted