A WELL-USED health centre in Tidworth will no longer provide GP appointments from Monday.

Patients who use the town's Cross Plain Health Centre are being advised to either re-register with another practice, or travel to other sites at Durrington and Larkhill – which are run in partnership with the Millstream Medical Centre.

The decision to close the centre was made by health bosses due to "considerable staffing challenges" over recent months.

This was something identified by inspectors during a recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection.

Dr Celia Grummitt, partner at Cross Plain Health Centre, said: “Providing a sustainable health service for our patients is our priority and while we have been successful in being able to provide additional GPs on a short-term basis, it is not sustainable in the longer term.

“It has been a very challenging time for the practice and we have had to make some difficult decisions in the best interest of our patients.

“Working together with Millstream Medical Centre we can provide enough clinical staff to continue to be able to see patients in Larkhill and Durrington.”

Salisbury Journal:

For patients who use the Tidworth branch of Cross Plain Health Centre, all GP services will stop from July 22.

The last day for general practice appointments there will be Friday 19 July 2019.

Tidworth patients are able to continue to use Cross Plain Health Centre services, but these will only be available in Durrington and Larkhill.

If they are unable to travel, they're advised to re-register with the town's Castle Practice.

Dr Chet Sheth, GP partner at Millstream Medical Centre, said: “I want to assure Cross Plain patients that we are committed to continuing to provide general practice services in Larkhill and Durrington.

"We’ll be working together with clinical staff from Cross Plain Health Centre to help make the transition as comfortable as possible.

“I also want to assure our patients at Millstream Medical Centre that these changes will not affect the service we provide to them.”

On completion of the new joint NHS and Ministry of Defence medical centre in Larkhill – expected in February next year – services will cease in Durrington, as already reported.

Jo Cullen, director of Primary and Urgent Care for Wiltshire CCG, added: “Wiltshire CCG continues to work closely with Cross Plain Health Centre to support it during these changes.

"Please be assured that as always, patients are the first priority for Cross Plain Health Centre, Wiltshire CCG and NHS England.”

The Tidworth centre will also be hosting drop-in sessions tomorrow and Thursday to advise patients what to do next.

These will be held from 12.30-2pm on Wednesday, and 5-6pm on Thursday.