'Sad day' for villagers as GP surgery closes

Campaigners fighting to save a village GP surgery said it was a "sad day" after its doors were closed.

The Mill Surgery in Boxford, Suffolk, was shut on Monday and its services moved five miles (8km) away to Hadleigh.

It followed safety concerns about blocked drains, sewage smells and a need for improved infection control facilities.

David Burden, from the Save Boxford Surgery Campaign, said villagers would "miss it", but a senior doctor said it was neither "sustainable or safe".

Mr Burden added: "It's a sad day to lose something that is very much appreciated by the village."

A report to Suffolk County Council in January concluded the site in Church Street was run down.

Most people from Boxford were already having their appointments in Hadleigh, according to Hadleigh Boxford Group Practice.

Mr Burden said a team of volunteers were prepared to drive anyone left behind to appointments when needed.

"Where there's a vacuum, volunteers will always seek to fill it," he added.

"We don't want to be spectators of deterioration if we can avoid it."

Funding has also been secured by the practice to pay for taxis for those who could not get to Hadleigh.

Building improvement works have been ongoing at the site in Market Place to get it ready for more patients.

A 24/7 prescription collection machine was installed and people have been taught how to use an online triage service.

Dr Ed Garrett, chief executive of the NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB, said he understood some may have been disappointed by the move.

"But the committee was clear that the site would neither be sustainable or safe for the future," he added.

"We will now work closely with the practice to ensure its patients are well supported for the smooth transition of services to the main Hadleigh site."

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.