Surgery to stay open for now

The Medical Group had written to 950 patients in Lanchester warning them that its Westlands surgery in the village was to close because of a shortage of doctors.

But last Thursday, at a meeting of Durham and Chester-le-Street Primary Care Trust (PCT), health chiefs and practice manager Mike O'Hare agreed a short-term package to help keep to it operating.

A public meeting will be held in the village next week to discuss the problem further. In the meantime, the surgery will stay open.

Andrew Young, PCT chief executive, said: "The Medical Group had issued the letter without our blessing.

"They have accepted that it was not the best thing to do and we have to move on now.

"We have had a hitch, but I am sure we can pick up the pieces and do what is best for the patients."

The practice had planned to close because it has lost two part-time Spanish GPs, part of a wave of Spanish medics imported by North-East health bosses last year.

It is understood that one of the Spanish GPs has moved to Iceland and the other is working part-time for a different practice in the Chester-le-Street area.

The trust is helping out by sending the practice a nursing practitioner and a first contact practitioner for emergency care.

But Mr Young conceded that the surgery - one of three in the village - may still close. One option is to ask two new, full-time doctors to take on the extra patients when they arrive in October.

But the new staff are working at a different practice in the village and that falls under the jurisdiction of Derwentside PCT.

"There are three practices serving what is a relatively small population," he said.

"We will be discussing with Derwentside whether the two doctors can take on patients there. Good patient care depends a great deal on doctors not being totally stressed out."

No one from the Medical Group was available for comment.

The public meeting on the future of the surgery takes place next Wednesday at 7pm in Lanchester Social Club.