Bridge of Earn surgery to close next week after failure to recruit doctors
Around 3,500 people are registered at the Perthshire practice with NHS Tayside saying everyone will be allocated a nearby centre by September 2
Bridge of Earn surgery will close by the end of this month after it gave NHS Tayside a notice to terminate its contract.
The perthshire practice - which serves around 3500 people - was unable to find a replacement for two doctors who are leaving.
Evonne Boyd's registered there, she's devastated by the news.
"We've been in the village for 16 years. The surgery is fantastic, the doctors and nurses have always been exceptional," she said.
"To think we will no longer have a surgery in the village is really sad."
NHS Tayside says every patient will be allocated a new practice by the start of next month.
Professor Peter Stonebridge, NHS Tayside Medical Director, said, “We understand that patients may be very anxious that the practice has decided to terminate its contract with NHS Tayside.
“The Board, alongside the Health and Social Care Partnership, can reassure patients that they will be able to access high-quality primary care services from Monday, 2 September.
“We have worked to explore all potential options for a locally-based solution. However, the lack of a sustainable GP workforce - and the needs and limitations of the GP premises – have led us to take the decision to transfer the patients.
"This will ensure the practice population can continue to see a GP and have access to primary care services and other healthcare professionals at a nearby practice.
“Although we recognise that this will be disappointing to patients, this is the safest and most sustainable response to the current circumstances.
"However, NHS Tayside and Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership regularly monitor and review the provision of primary care services in communities and we will continue to look at the Bridge of Earn position.
"If there are any changes to the current situation, the future provision of local primary care services will be revisited.
But Evonne believes many of the elderly patients would have no means no travel outside the village.
"To travel into Perth would be difficult for people. We have a significant amount of elderly patients in the community, I really worry for them," she said.