The NHS in Thanet is to receive up to £2.5 million of funding towards a new state-of-the-art health centre in Margate.

The money will be used to help pay towards the £6.5 million extension to the Bethesda Medical Centre - which will result in the hub more than doubling in size.

The aim is to create a one-stop-shop for people in the district, and hopes to be open by 2020.

At the Bethesda site there are plans to add enough consulting rooms for GPs and nurses to provide care for up to 32,000 patients.

There will be clinics for physiotherapy, audiology, ophthalmology, ultrasound and minor surgery for patients from Margate and beyond.

Space will be provided for GPs, nurses, community and mental health professionals and voluntary organisations to work together as well as space for training which patient groups could use in the evenings and at weekends.

In addition, the centre will include a cafe, a community kitchen, a gym for physio, an outside gym area, an allotment area and more, in a bid to help local people to lead healthier lifestyles.

There will also be a bigger pharmacy.

A planning application was submitted to Thanet District Council at the start of the month.

As well as this latest funding, the project has already secured £2 million from the Estates and Technical Transformation Fund.

Tony Martin, clinical chair of the NHS Thanet clinical commissioning group, which commissions healthcare across the district, said: "“We were extremely pleased to hear this news which will help us in our bid to drive plans forward for patients.

“Our plans at the Bethesda site will help us to provide integrated primary and community care for our growing local community. We will be able to offer an enhanced range of services with increased opening hours.

“Bringing health and care services all under one roof makes things easier for patients, with them not having to go over their stories several times and also developments like this are a real draw for medical professionals and care staff, which will help with recruitment problems we sometimes experience.”

The funding comes as part of an announcement today by secretary of state for health and social care Jeremy Hunt.

In total, £19.5 million was awarded for projects in Kent and Medway.