THE transfer of 6,600 patients to Wellington Medical Centre from the now-closed Luson Surgery has been ‘seamless’, said NHS Somerset.

Luson shut on September 26 and patients were automatically moved to the medical centre, taking its patient list to about 23,000 people.

GP partners Dr Rachel Yates and Dr Adedayo Awodiji have similarly moved from Luson to work in the medical centre, which has also recruited three other doctors to help cope with the extra workload.

The Luson premises in Fore Street had become unfit for purpose and the surgery was also experiencing challenges in recruiting and retaining staff during the previous 18 months.

An NHS Somerset spokesperson said usually the notice to end a surgery contract was six months, but local partners worked together to make the change happen faster so the closure would not happen in the peak winter period when demand on medical services was highest.

The spokesperson said: “The movement of the patient list, known as a list dispersal, was supported by NHS Somerset, which is responsible for planning, paying for, and monitoring primary care services in the county.

“Extensive planning between both practices, NHS Somerset, and other local partners, including care homes and community services, was undertaken to make the change as seamless as possible.”

Medical centre GP partner Dr Sally Dimambro said: “I would like to thank all our patients for their support in making this process smooth and successful.

“Patient records have been moved to our system, and I know the team have enjoyed welcoming Luson patients to the practice and getting to know them.

“I would also like to thank our practice team for their hard work and dedication throughout this period.”

As well as leaving Wellington with just one GP surgery, the apparent closure of Jhoots on the Luson site means the town now has only two pharmacies.