The NHS has reassured patients of a GP surgery in Popley that they will not be left without access to GPs or nurses, after the surgery's planned takeover collapsed.

Shakespeare Road Medical Practice, responsible for the healthcare of almost 13,500 patients, was in the process of a takeover by Bramblys Grange, which runs two other medical centres in the town.

But as reported on Wednesday, the partners, who were due to take over the running of the surgery permanently from the start of October, have decided that they do not want to continue operating the surgery from the end of November.

It is being blamed on "various reasons", but among them is that they have been unable to recruit enough clinical staff.

Now, the organisation responsible for commissioning healthcare services in Hampshire has reassured patients that they will not be left without healthcare services.

Dr Charlotte Hutchings, clinical lead for North and Mid Hampshire at the Hampshire, Southampton and Isle of Wight CCG, also told The Gazette that she wants a long-term provider to take over the surgery from December, and that discussion are "moving quickly".

Dr Hutchings said: “We have been providing support to the team managing the Shakespeare Road Medical Practice for many months, and we continue to do so.

"No decision has been made to close the practice, and no patients will be left without access to GPs, nurses, and other primary care staff.

“The NHS wants to secure a longer-term provider to step in from December, and discussions around that are moving quickly.”

It comes after the surgery was forced to close its doors in April, following a build-up of short-term pressures connected to the takeover.

Patients were left in the dark after doctors and nurses stopped seeing patients in April. It has been blamed on a build up of short-term pressures connected to the takeover.

Dr Matt Nisbet, associate clinical director at the Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told The Gazette days after the closure that pressures that NHS staff had faced during the pandemic had mounted up, including catching up on postponed work and running the vaccination programme.