A VILLAGE doctors' surgery that was threatened with closure has been thrown a lifeline - for the next year at least.

Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has taken over the Lister House Partnership, which provides GP services in Wiveliscombe and Milverton.

Milverton patients feared their Creedwell Orchard surgery would shut when four partners left and were unable to recruit replacements.

But the trust has taken control of both centres this month, signed a year's lease on the Milverton premises and already signed up three new GPs.

Trust chief executive Dr Nick Broughton said the new set up will bring "real benefits to staff and patients".

Somerset County Gazette:

Dr Nick Broughton.

He added: "Somerset Partnership delivers a wide range of community and mental health services, some of which we can bring into the surgery.

"This means that as well as continued access to GPs, patients will be able to get a wider range of care and clinics, such as physiotherapy, mental health talking therapies, closer to home.”

Lister House practice manager Emma Spiller said managers and staff are delighted to be moving their primary care services "into the future".

She added: "Our collaboration will ensure, not only that GP and other local services are safeguarded, but that we can offer a wider range of services and look to establish a holistic 'one-stop-shop' for patient care in the area.

“During this period of transition, we will be working hard to make sure there is an absolute minimum of disruption to patients, at the same time, continuing the high level of care for which Lister House has always been proud."

Lister House Patient Group chairman Peter Berman said: “We have known for some time of the difficulty in recruiting GPs and are delighted that the trust has been so successful in doing so.

"We look forward to a good working relationship with the trust and our experience so far has been wholly positive.

"It is of vital importance in a rural area that primary care services are delivered locally and we look forward to the possibility of these being expanded in the future.”

Milverton Parish Council members and district councillor Gwil Wren have held talks with the partnership and are meeting again next month.

Parish council chairman Julie Richardson said: "We have made it clear to the partnership how important the surgery is to the people of Milverton.

"The partnership has only just taken over and hasn't really assessed what the situation is yet, so we'll have to see how things go.

"But they've taken a lease on the surgery premises for a year and can't close the surgery anyway without a public consultation."