CONFUSION is creating havoc for patients at one Ipswich doctor's surgery as the recent road works in the town centre cause chaos.

CONFUSION is creating havoc for patients at one Ipswich doctor's surgery as the recent road works in the town centre cause chaos.

Emergency vehicles called to the health centre on Orchard Street have missed the diversions and patients are getting lost on route to their appointments, resulting in surgeries running late.

Practice manager Andrea Clarke said the situation is “dangerous” and is “wasting precious minutes” when emergency vehicles are urgently needed.

The practice serves 16,000 patients and Mrs Clarke said the last three weeks have been a nightmare.

Despite several calls to Ipswich council, to alert them to the problem, there are still no clear signs alerting drivers to turn right off the one-way system by the County public house into Orchard Street.

Due to road works on Woodbridge Road and St Helen's Street traffic is being diverted into the left, bus lane near to Orchard Street on St Helen's street just before the first traffic lights near the Regent.

Mrs Clarke said people are realising too late that they can turn right down the normally one-way street and the taxi rank and parking bays cause the entrance to Orchard Street to be frequently blocked.

“People are in a total muddle, they don't know if they are coming or going,” she said. “It is just a nightmare, I have never known anything so badly organised.

“I just want our patients to be able to see signs on St Helen's street early enough to warn them.

“It is very dangerous, we call a lot of ambulances all the time and they are getting lost, wasting precious minutes.”

Mrs Clarke is calling on Ipswich Borough Council to clearly mark the diversion with enough warning for people to safely make the sharp right hand turn into Orchard Street.

Work to improve Woodbridge Road started on Tuesday, July 21 and is due to take six weeks to complete.

One-way traffic directions on Orchard Street, Blanche Street and Woodbridge Road have been temporarily suspended to provide access for residents and businesses including the health centre.