Plans for branch surgery after GP closure concerns

Plans for a branch surgery in a Yorkshire Dales village have been approved, after the announced closure of the local GP practice.

Reeth Medical Centre is due to shut at the end of May, after Dr Mike Brookes, who runs the centre with wife Marie, announced his retirement.

NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) said it had tried to find an alternative provider to take over the medical centre but had not been successful.

However, it has approved an application from Central Dales Practice to run a branch surgery in Reeth on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which will support about 1,500 patients.

The approval is subject to securing a suitable premises in the town.

On the days when the branch surgery is not open, people will still be able to access the Central Dales surgeries in Aysgarth or Hawes, according to the ICB.

Alex Seale, from the ICB, said: "We know how deeply local people value having access to healthcare close to home, particularly in a very rural community like Reeth, and we tried very hard to find an alternative provider who could viably take over the Reeth Medical Centre contract, unfortunately, without success.

"However, establishing a branch surgery is a practical and proportionate way to protect access for patients following the hand back of the Reeth Medical Centre contract, while ensuring services remain safe and sustainable for the long term."

The senior officer added that without a presence in Reeth, patients would face significantly longer journeys, which could act as a real barrier to care.

"We are grateful to Central Dales Practice and the wider GP practice community in Richmondshire for stepping forward with a solution that reflects the ICB's commitment to reducing geographical health inequalities, when we were seemingly out of options," she said.

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