Surgery set to close due to lack of GPs

A SURGERY in Porth is set to close at the end of the year after its GPs retire because of the difficulty in recruiting new ones.

The two GPs currently working at Porth Farm Surgery will be retiring on December 31 and, due to the ongoing challenges of recruiting GPs, the surgery will be shutting.

The health board says they are making efforts to ensure everyone who currently attends Porth Farm Surgery will be registered with another surgery before December 31 and that no-one will be left without a surgery.

They are asking people to wait for a letter from them to help them register with an alternative surgery rather than doing it themselves.

Pont Newydd Medical Centre is expected to be one of the alternatives being considered.

Alan Lawrie, director of primary, community and mental health services at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, said: “The health board has been informed that the two GPs at Porth Farm Surgery in Rhondda will be retiring from the practice on December 31, 2019.

“We would like to thank them both for the many years of service to their patients in Porth and wish them well in their retirement.

“Every option has been considered to keep the surgery open but due to the ongoing challenges of recruiting GPs, which is a nationwide issue, we have concluded that the only sustainable solution is for patients to register with neighbouring practices.

“Preparations are being made to ensure that all patients will be registered with a practice as close to their home as possible before December 31.

“No patient will be left without a GP. We will be providing neighbouring practices with every support to ensure patients can be transferred seamlessly by the end of the year.

“We will be writing to patients in the next few weeks with information about how they register with another practice. We would ask patients to wait to receive a letter from the health board before contacting any other surgery.

“In the meantime Porth Farm surgery will be open as usual until December 31.

“While our efforts continue to recruit more GPs to our primary care service we are determined to use this change as an opportunity to develop and reshape the provision of primary care services in the Rhondda to one which better responds to all our patients’ needs in the area.”