New GP surgery plan to replace closed Whitchurch centre

The surgery will be run like a "traditional general practice" at Whitchurch Community Hospital

A new GP surgery is to open in Shropshire, taking on nearly 4,000 patients from a centre that is closing.

GP group Shropdoc has agreed to run a surgery in the Beech Ward at Whitchurch Community Hospital from 1 November.

It will replace Richmond House surgery on Station Road, which closes at the end of October due to the lease running out and a loss of doctors.

Last week patients protested after plans to find a provider to run the service collapsed.

The new unit will be known as the Claypit Street Medical Practice.

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Shropdoc has been providing out-of-hours GP services in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Powys in Wales.

Julian Povey, who chairs Shropshire's Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said Shropdoc was "the best provider for the service", adding staff in Richmond House can be transferred to the new centre if they want to move.

"It will be run like a traditional general practice," he said.

"The plan is to have one lead GP, who will be full-time there, and then have a number of other doctors working alongside them, and hopefully they'll be able to get some people who'll work consistently and they'll be the same people to allow continuity of care."

Shropdoc is yet to comment.

Patients of Richmond House in Withchurch protested earlier in September after plans for a new surgery collapsed