MORE than 300 people packed a public meeting on Tuesday to express their concern and fury at the sudden closure of  a doctors‘ surgery covering some of the most parts of Tynedale. 

But they received no assurances that the  Harbottle Surgery, which closed on Friday after operating from the  Coquet Valley for over a century,would ever reopen.

Changes to the way practices are funded nationally, with cash being withdrawn from rural practices to support busier urban centres, has  sounded the death knell for many rural surgeries.

The Harbottle  practice  ran satellite surgeries  at Otterburn, serving people from  Otterburn, Byrness, Rochester and Elsdon as well as numerous small farms in the Upper Rede Valley.

A total of 800 patients were told they would have to register with new GP practices  but in some cases the nearest surgery involves a 40 mile round trip or more.

The Harbottle Surgery was operated  under contract by a Consett-based practice,  but the contract was handed back to NHS England last month after cuts in funding, and problems in recruiting GPs prepared to woprkj in the remote rural areas proved insurmountable.

In a letter to the NHS  Harbottle Surgery GP Dr Rina Miah said: ‘Over the last few months we have tried really hard to recruit new GPs to work at Harbottle Surgery and its satellite clinics at Rothbury and Otterburn. 

“Despite our very best efforts we have not been successful. ‘

”This, along with the practice’s new financial settlement which will see a significant reduction in our funding from April 2016, means that sadly we are not able to continue to provide a GP service from Harbottle Surgery.

Watchdog  Healthwatch Northumberland was  dismayed to learn of the closure of Harbottle surgery and said it has been contacted by several people concenred for their future healthcare.

The body said in a statement: ” We understand how difficult the surgery closure will be for some patients; therefore our prime concern is residents are able to access GP services within their area.“

Healthwatch Northumberland is working closely with commissioners and providers of primary care services to ensure that the patients of Harbottle Surgery have their voice heard during this period of change.

”This will be done by gathering experiences from patients and anonymously feeding it back to inform decision makers in primary care services. 

“We will also be holding drop in sessions to provide support for patients.”

Interim medical director for NHS England Cumbria and the North East,  Craig Melrose, said  NHS England’s main priority was to ensure patients had access to high quality GP services, and the closure at Harbottle meant all  patients would  need to register with a new practice to ensure continuity of care.