PATIENTS at a struggling GP surgery have received a life line after it was announced a new operator will be taking over.

As previously reported in the Gazette, Beggarwood Surgery was under threat of closure after Cedar Medical Group, which had previously run the Broadmere Road site, had terminated its contract with the surgery.

The surgery had come in for criticism following a damning report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) when it was rated as ‘inadequate.’

However, the NHS has now announced that a new operator for the surgery will be in place within a month.

At a meeting between representatives from the NHS, patients, ward councillors and the Basingstoke MP Maria Miller on July 13, residents were told the surgery would remain open.

Zara Hyde Peters from the north Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) told patients and residents at the meeting that there is only one plan to keep Beggarwood Surgery open.

The CCG is confident that the surgery will remain open with a sustainable solution delivering improved GP surgery services for patients.

Zara also gave assurances that an announcement of the new operator will be made before the end of July.

After the meeting, Mrs Miller said: “I am delighted at the NHS’s announcement that Beggarwood surgery will remain open with a new operator delivering an improved service for local people.

“There has been considerable concern and uncertainty for local residents and patients. It would have been better to have a new operator in place prior to terminating the existing contract, the extended period of uncertainty has been extremely worrying for local residents.

“The meeting was unanimous in wanting to welcome the new operator who will be announced in the coming fortnight and that residents will want to work with them to get their local GP surgery back on track.”

As well as providing primary care for 5,000 local residents, the surgery is located next to two proposed major house building sites and in June, was referenced by the NHS as being able to provide primary care for those new residents despite the lack of an operator from September.

Even though the new operator has yet to be formally announced, residents were told they have an excellent track record of delivering primary care services.