Builder and Project Manager Ian Birchall said on Friday that work on the progress is on schedule.

“What people see as they drive past the site now, lets call it stage one, is about half the overall size of the building,” Mr Birchall said.

“An almost mirror image of the stage we have the roof on now will soon start to take shape.

“We poured half the concrete slab for stage two on Friday and expect to complete the pour on Saturday.”

Mr Birchall said he expected the new Medical Centre to be ready to be moved into in August next year.

Practice Manager Colleen Best said the $2.5 million (est.) project is an investment the principals of the practice have made for the long term future of the health facility for Mudgee and surrounding areas.

“The principals have made this investment to make Mudgee a more attractive for new doctors in the hope they will want to practice here,” Mrs Best said.

“When completed it will be a lovely facility conveniently placed close to the Mudgee Hospital, which we see as a big advantage for our patients.

“It has been designed to provide Mudgee with a training facility for medical students and registrars.

“This in turn should encourage those students to want to come to Mudgee to practice.

“Therefore, it is an investment in the future of medical services for Mudgee for the benefit of the people the practice serves.”

Mrs Best said the new centre will have six suites for visiting specialists, which should encourage more visiting specialists to Mudgee and in turn will mean less travel by patients to other centres for many specialist services.

There will also be a radiology wing, pathology laboratory, a pharmacy and even a coffee shop for the public.