Thousands told to find new GP as Stoke surgery set for closure

Midway Medical Centre, Newcastle-Under-Lyme Credit: BMP

Thousands of patients have been told to find a new GP - because the NHS is shutting their surgery.

A total of 3,450 patients at Midway Medical Centre, in Newcastle, are affected after being told the Lyme Valley Road practice will shut at the end of March.

It operates from the same building as Lyme Valley Practice which is unaffected by the shake-up.

Now patients have until January 18 to register with a new GP practice - or they will be told where to go by the NHS after that date.

It is expected that the majority of people will move across to Lyme Valley.

Midway Medical Centre is currently run by NHS Solutions after a contract was signed with NHS England and North Staffordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

A CCG spokesman said:

The walk-in service at Midway Medical Centre will also be axed at the end of March.

The CCG spokesman added: "Midway has provided one pre-bookable appointment per hour for unregistered patients.

"However with the introduction of GP extended access throughout North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent since October the demand for this service has reduced and is no longer required."

CCG executive director Lynn Millar added: “No-one registered with Midway Medical Practice should worry that they will be left without a GP.

We have informed all patients how to register with another GP practice.

“Only if patients have not re-registered with another GP by January 18 will they be re-allocated to another GP practice and will be informed about how this affects them.

"We hope there will be minimum of inconvenience to all patients.”

Midway Medical Centre patient Penny Styles and her partner have already registered with Lyme Valley Practice.

It is the second time within two years that patients have faced upheaval - after Midway Medical Centre closed on The Midway, in Newcastle, in June, 2017.

The 65-year-old, from Newcastle, said: "We are both in the 60-plus bracket and of an age where we need more support from the NHS.

"I have a good rapport with all the nursing staff and they know all my medical history. It is like starting again from scratch."