THE Okement Surgery based at Okehampton Community Hospital is to close, leaving 1,700 patients looking for a new GP within the next six months.

NHS England said this week that within the national vision for the NHS, small practices like the Okement Surgery were not sustainable.

The surgery is currently run by the Wallingbrook Health Group on behalf of NHS England under a time-limited contract which will end in April. Patients will then be ‘dispersed’ to Okehampton Medical Centre, Hatherleigh, Bow and North Tawton.

The surgery’s patient participation group has expressed its disappointment at NHS England for failing to consult with patients on the decision.

Lynn Lane, patient representative for the Okement Surgery, has called the decision ‘appalling’ and said she felt that NHS England should have held a consultation on the surgery’s future similar to the consultation held in North Tawton over the last year to discuss their surgery’s future.

She said: ‘The news came as a total shock to me as well as to the team at Wallingbrook. Patients are happy with the service and patients chose to be part of Wallingbrook Health Group.

‘It is appalling that the NHS can do this without consulting the surgery’s 1,700 patients. It should be about patient choice, but they are not giving us a choice.

‘If you live in Okehampton and use the Okement Surgery, are you really going to drive seven miles or more to go to Hatherleigh, to Bow, to North Tawton? It’s not going to happen. NHS England should have spoken to patients before making this decision.

‘The town is growing rapidly so it definitely needs more than one GP surgery. You’ll have 1,700 patients, the majority of which will try to go to Okehampton Medical Centre, and then there are all the new houses and new families moving into the town. How will it cope?’

Linda Prosser, director of commissioning for NHS England in the South West, said: ‘Time-limited contracts like this have often been used to ensure there is enough GP care for patients where there are particular pressures on services.

‘It is clear in this case that the existing practices are now comfortably able to cope with the numbers of patients in and around Okehampton.

‘Since last year we have been working to the national vision for the NHS (the five year forward view) which looks at how we can provide the best care possible at a time of rising demand and very tight funding.

‘This makes it clear that the very small practices, like the Okement Primary Care Centre, with around 1,800 patients are not sustainable as we move towards seven-day working and as other demands on primary care increase.