REPRESENTATIVES from Okehampton’s town and hamlets councils are due to meet to discuss the situation at the Okement Surgery.

In November it was revealed that NHS England plans to close the surgery, leaving over 1,700 patients looking for a new GP within the next six months.

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.

Several members of the public attended the Okehampton Town Council meeting on Monday, December 7, to express concern about the surgery closure.

Town clerk Paul Snell said: ‘Questions were raised about the capacity of the remaining Okehampton surgery to cope with anticipated number of patients to be transferred, on the potential effect on the hospital and there were serious concerns that there had been no consultation on the matter prior to the closure decision having been made.’

In the subsequent discussion item, Cllr Tony Leech told members about a meeting he was co-ordinating called by the West Devon borough and town council members. The meeting will bring together councillors from the town and hamlets parish councils to discuss the closure and what action they intend to take. The meeting was scheduled to take place this evening (December 17).

It was also noted that the matter of the surgery closure was to be taken up at the Devon County Council Scrutiny meeting.

The town council resolved that the mayor would write a letter to NHS England to express the council’s concerns at the notified closure.