THE FUTURE of a Hampshire GP surgery is uncertain as one of its doctors is set to leave.

Doubt surrounds the future of Bursledon Surgery as its lead GP, Dr Vivian Ding retires on December 31 this year.

Dr Ding has been a GP for over 30 years and has provided care at the surgery on Portsmouth Road for more than a decade.

However, the NHS is assuring the estimated 4,500 patients and local people who use the surgery that services will continue to be provided from next year.

From January 1, 2020, the Blackthorn Health Centre practise will provide services to Bursledon Surgery patients under an interim contract.

The NHS has written to all patients to confirm that they will be able to access uninterrupted GP services from the current practice premises located at the Lowford Centre.

Similarly, it is assuring them the Bursledon Surgery telephone number will remain unchanged.

It was reported that patient medical records will automatically be transferred to the new GP service provider following Dr Ding’s retirement.

They also do not need to do anything to register with the new provider as all registrations will automatically commence on 1 January 2020.

Chairman of NHS West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Dr Sarah Schofield said: “We have worked with local GPs to ensure people continue to receive high-quality care in the area from their current practice premises.”

During the interim period, the CCG will be making arrangements for the long term provision of GP services for patients registered with Bursledon Surgery.

NHS West Hampshire CCG is holding drop-in events, for patients of Bursledon Surgery, to answer any enquires.

These will be held on Wednesday, November 6 between 2pm and 6pm and Tuesday, November 12 between 5pm and 8.30pm.

The Bursledon Surgery was placed into special measures after being rated inadequate by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2016.

The Daily Echo asked the CCG if Dr Ding will be replaced or any other factors were involved in the surgery’s future but it could not provide any further comment.