Two rapidly-growing parts of Norfolk could see new health centres built to cope with the swell of new housing developments.

Hethersett and Taverham have been earmarked by the Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group for new GP surgeries, with the commissioners working alongside Broadland and South Norfolk councils to bring the schemes to life.

But bosses have warned that it will be years before the new centres will become a reality.

The details came following a question to commissioners from South Norfolk councillor Nigel Legg during a meeting of Norfolk County Council's health overview and scrutiny committee.

He said: "People in my ward (Mulbarton and Stoke Holy Cross) have extreme difficulties accessing primary health care and have done for a long time. It has been suggested one solution might be the construction of a new medical hub somewhere in the area.

"The problem is only getting worse because of the thousands of new homes being built in the area without apparent effort to improve medical services.

"South Norfolk Council has agreed to fund such a project - what progress has been made and is there any likelihood of such a project coming to fruition?"

Paul Higham, the CCG's estates director, said in response: "We have been in dialogue with South Norfolk and Broadland looking at two schemes in their respective areas for new build surgeries and have been looking at relocations from existing premises into larger facilities - one of those being Hethersett and one of those being Taverham.

"However, they are both in the early stages of planning so will take some years to come through but I personally welcome that dialogue with the district councils and the way of funding new facilities this way would be a positive way going forward.

"We've got good engagement from the practices regarding these schemes and are going through the relevant processes to progress these."

Earlier in the meeting, Mr Higham admitted the CCG had been "behind the curve" with bidding for funding to expand services.

He said: "We have a robust process in place where practices can submit an expression of interest to receive capital funding. But we do only get £2m of capital to spend on primary care development and that doesn't buy you very much."