AN urgent meeting is being sought by Wellington Town Council with NHS Somerset after it announced the closure of one of the town’s two GP surgeries.

Luson Surgery, in Fore Street, will close in September and its 6,600 patients will automatically be transferred to Wellington Medical Centre, in Mantle Street.

Wellington mayor Cllr Janet Lloyd said the council wanted to meet as soon as possible with NHS Somerset managers and medical centre representatives to discuss the closure and also ‘longer-term plans for NHS provision in the town in the context of its projected growth’.

Cllr Lloyd said: “With the proposed new developments in the town that have received planning permission, I cannot see how one medical centre can cope with any more patients.

“I was absolutely staggered to hear Luson Surgery is closing in seven-and-a-half weeks’ time.

“We all know how difficult it is to get appointments with staff at the medical centre now, and this decision will only make things worse.

“I can only presume that when the medical centre moved to Mantle Street 15 years ago, patients of a certain age living in the retirement facilities in the centre of the town probably became patients of Luson as it is located in the town.

“Now, they will have to go to Mantle Street.”

Cllr Lloyd expressed disappointment that although NHS Somerset publicly said it wanted to make sure the voice of local communities was heard when it came to ‘ planning and delivering health services for the future’, it had neither advised nor consulted with the council.

Town councillors will discuss the Luson situation as well as the closure of patient beds in Wellington Community Hospital when they hold their monthly meeting in the United Reformed Church Hall on Monday evening (August 4).

MP Gideon Amos on Thursday (July 30) vowed to fight for more GPs for the town

Mr Amos said: “It is desperately disappointing to hear the news about Luson, but, having spent time with the team at Wellington Medical Centre, I know they will be well cared for there.

“I would like to pay tribute to the hard work and dedication of local GPs and healthcare staff at both surgeries.

“If Wellington is to grow in population in line with the Government’s housing plans, including a 41 per cent increase in planned housing numbers in Somerset, then the town will desperately need more GPs and ultimately a new surgery to cater for them.

“Residents rightly want to see new infrastructure, such as more GPs, before new housing is built and that is what I am going to be campaigning for.”