Grange Road GP Surgery to close at end of June

Patients of the GP practice recently received letters inviting them to re-register at other nearby surgeries.

"Following the resignation and retirement of the partners at Grange Road Practice in May 2016, NHS Southwark Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS England made a temporary arrangement with Nexus Health Group to continue to provide GP services to patients at the practice until a permanent solution could be found," said a spokeswoman for the CCG.

"Temporary arrangements like this are not unusual following unexpected circumstances. In this case the two GPs responsible for the contract resigned and retired within a very short space of time. During the period of the temporary arrangements, a re-inspection of the practice by the Care Quality Commission revealed improvements in services at the Grange Road Practice.

"The CCG has assessed all the possible options for the future of the practice. The outcome of that assessment was a decision to ask patients to register at nearby practices, which are located within one mile of Grange Road Practice and have capacity to take on new patients. There are 10 practices within one mile of the current Grange Road surgery. The CCG has written to advise patients of this, with a list of these nearby practices.

"The CCG has also arranged two drop in sessions for patients to answer any concerns and provide support and advice. Nexus Health Group, the current caretaker, is working closely with the CCG to identify vulnerable patients who may need support to register with a new practice."

The surgery occupies space at the Bermondsey Health Centre, opened in 1936 by Bermondsey Borough Council as part of its pioneering work in the public health field.

Community health services based in the building and provided by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust are not affected by the closure of the GP practice.