An under-pressure GP practice has been given permission to expand into a Portakabin after its town missed out on a new care hub.

Attleborough Surgeries has been granted planning permission to place a modular extension on its Station Road site.

The application came after the town - which is expecting more than 4,000 new homes in the coming years - was dropped from a scheme to build new primary care hubs in the county.

The surgery, which is set across two sites, is already over-subscribed, providing care to almost 19,000 patients.

However, the new extension is set to provide six new clinical rooms for the practice and pave the way for it to increase staffing numbers.

The new rooms will be contained inside a Portakabin connected to the GP site.

Lucy McLean, practice manager, said: "There has been a pressing need for growth in our primary care facilities for a number of years as demand for general medical services is increasing, as are patient numbers as our local community continues to grow.

"The partners at Attleborough Surgeries are delighted to be able to progress with this development to help increase patient access to service and improve patient experience in the short term.

"Looking ahead, the practice will also be continuing to work with system partners across the integrated care system to develop a longer-term solution for primary care in Attleborough."

It comes after changes to NHS funding rules saw Attleborough removed from a scheme to build new facilities - called primary care hubs - across the county.

Work on constructing the modular building will begin later this month, with the extension due to be in patient use by the middle of November.

Bosses say the additional space provided by the extension will be fully accessible and will allow existing staff to work more efficiently.