Chard GP surgery closes because it cannot find staff

A GP surgery has closed its doors for the final time because it cannot recruit enough staff.

Patients of Springmead Surgery in Chard will be moved to another practice.

The closure is part of a national trend as fewer GPs take on more complex and heavier workloads.

Dr Bernie Marden, Chief Medical Officer, NHS Somerset, said: "the practice has relied on extra locums for some time, adding, "Ultimately this is not sustainable for the long term."

"Springmead Surgery has been experiencing challenges due to a variety of difficulties, including GP partnership and staff changes, over a few years."

He added: "This issue is not unique to Somerset. Across the country we have GP workforce challenges and ever-increasing demands on services from an ageing, more clinically complex population.

Sharon Vaux said it's difficult to talk to a doctor in Chard.

Many people in Chard are angry at what they see as a loss of an essential service.

Sharon Vaux told BBC West: "You physically can't talk to a doctor, so you can't really get ill, because there's nobody to talk to," she said.

"Sometimes people need to talk to someone in a medical profession".

Richard Kilde was concerned about GP waiting times

Springmead patient Richard Kilde said: "To have 6,000 patients move to a smaller surgery when we already have a three week waiting time, how on earth are they going to deal with it?"

Dr Lucy-Jane Davis, from the British Medical Association, South West, said there are now fewer GPs that at any other time in the history of the NHS.

"What we're seeing (in Chard) is a broad trend that we're seeing played out in real time in a specific community which is really concerning," she said.

NHS Somerset said if patients have any questions or worries about the closure, they should contact the NHS Somerset helpline on 0300 303 6409 or email [e-mail].