Brighton GP surgery to close its doors

In a letter from NHS England, the surgery’s 2,300 patients are told that Dr Shah ended his contract to run the Lewes Road Surgery just before Christmas.

He had since stepped down as a GP, and the letter said the surgery - at 188-189 Lewes Road - has used locum GPs to provide appointments in recent weeks.

Sarah Macdonald, director of commissioning for NHS England, wrote in the letter to patients: “We appreciate this is a difficult situation, but as there is no longer a permanent GP in place to oversee the day-to-day running of Lewes Road Surgery we cannot guarantee you will be able to get any care you need at the surgery and it will have to close on 31 January 2017.

“Please be assured that there is enough space across all the GP practices in Brighton and Hove to ensure that all Lewes Road Surgery patients will be able to register with a new local GP practice.”

This follows the closure of four Practice Group surgeries in the city last year (Whitehawk Medical Centre, Willow House Surgery in Bevendean, Hangleton Manor Surgery and the surgery at Boots in North Street), alongside the closure of Hove GPs Goodwood Court and the Eaton Centre in 2015.

The letter advises patients from Lewes Road Surgery to register with one of four GPs in the city: St Peter’s Medical Centre, 30-36 Oxford Street; Park Crescent Health Centre, 1 Lewes Road; Pavilion Surgery, 2-3 Old Steine; Ship Street Surgery, 65-67 Ship Street.

A spokesperson for NHS England South said: “Following Dr Shah’s decision to end his contract to run Lewes Road Surgery and to step down as a GP just before Christmas, we have had to swiftly secure arrangements to ensure the ongoing care of his patients.

“We have liaised with other local GP practices and are reassured that there is enough capacity across Brighton and Hove to ensure all Lewes Road Surgery patients can register with a new local GP practice, with those affected living across a wide area of the city.

“We are writing to all Lewes Road Surgery patients to explain how they can register with a new GP practice.”