MINEHEAD’S two GP surgeries have announced their intention to merge to create one single new practice in the town as they struggle to replace retiring doctors.

Harley House and Irnham Lodge Surgeries said the merger will ensure the sustainability of GP services in Minehead, by 'creating resilience and a robust surgery partnership' which they say will be attractive to new recruits.

The practices will continue to work from two different sites for the foreseeable future but will merge from April 2019.

Permission is required from NHS England and the practices will now embark upon a period of public consultation working with their Patient Participation Groups.

Both surgeries have seen experienced doctors retire in recent years with more planned retirements to come and are struggling to attract new GPs due to the national recruitment crisis.

The partners have agreed now is the time to join forces to create sustainability rather than risk one of the surgeries being forced to fold.

Harley House Surgery's Dr John Higgie said: “The loss of one surgery in Minehead would have serious implications for the remaining practice in the town, our surrounding surgeries and other local NHS services.

“The remaining surgeries could not cope with the sudden re-allocation of 7,000 patients or more which would cripple the provision of good quality primary care.

"We are taking action now to prevent such an event ever occurring and ensure sustainable primary care services for our community.”

Irnham Lodge Surgery's Dr Ed Ford added: “Crucially, a robust single practice partnership in Minehead provides us with an opportunity to join forces to recruit new doctors rather than working against each other.

"This is vital to ensure we can keep individual GP list sizes manageable and provide access to routine primary care appointments in a more timely fashion.”

If the merger is approved by NHS England, the business partnership will join forces in April 2019.

The surgeries will then seek to combine their practice lists working with the suppliers of their electronic medical record systems and NHS England in a process expected to complete by November 2019.