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Residents consider raising £520k to buy GP surgery

BBC People sat in rows in a community hall with their backs to the camera, and facing a stage on which four people sit behind a tableBBC
More than 150 residents gathered to discuss the future of their doctor's surgery

Residents of the UK's smallest city have gathered to try and save their GP surgery.

It was announced in July that St Davids' only doctors' surgery will close at the end of October, impacting about 3,000 patients.

Campaigners are appealing the decision and are considering raising more than half a million pounds to buy the building.

Hywel Dda University Health Board said it is working to establish a branch surgery in the Pembrokeshire city, which would provide nurse-led services for part of the week.

The practice's only GP, Dr Stephen Riley, resigned the General Medical Services contract in April after failing to recruit new partners.

During a public meeting on Tuesday, more than 150 people met to discuss their appeal against the health board's decision to move patients.

Most patients are expected to be moved to a surgery in Solva, which is three-and-a-half miles from St Davids.

Dr Richard Hayward said the move was "inconsiderate" ahead of the winter months.

"People will say it's only three miles but for locals it's three difficult miles," he said.

Dr Hayward added the Solva surgery had just 16 car parking spaces and said it "isn't reasonable" to "squeeze 5,000 patients into the building in Solva", which already has 2,146 of its own.

In addition, Solva surgery currently has no partners and is being run by Hywel Dda University Health Board.

The health board said the remaining patients would be moved to other surgeries in Haverfordwest and Fishguard.

The possibility of buying the building as a community was discussed and the meeting was told a recent evaluation showed the building is worth £520,000.

Dr Richard Hayward
Dr Richard Hayward says moving the patients to Solva is "inconsiderate" especially as winter approaches

Campaigner Sarah Foster said fundraising the amount required would be possible, comparing the venture to the recent community purchase of Bethlehem Chapel in Newport.

Simon Plant, another local resident, added: "The only way we're going to protect this is community ownership."

The campaign group has contacted the Welsh government regarding the appeal.

The Welsh government said: "Health boards have established procedures for handling proposals for changes to the delivery of local services that follow Welsh government guidance."

Hywel Dda University Health Board said work was continuing to establish a branch surgery in St David's that would provide nurse-led services for part of the week for those patients transferring to Solva surgery.