GP surgery relocating due to 'structural damage'

One of Chard's two doctors' surgeries is relocating all appointments to another site due to "structural damage" at its current base.

Ariel Healthcare, which runs both surgeries, say the move to relocate patients from Essex House to a former surgery is for safety reasons.

From 14 April patients will attend Springmead Surgery on Summerfields Road, which closed in February 2023.

Plans are under way to try and establish a third doctors surgery in the town due to money raised through housing developments in the town, but so far no decision has been made.

Practice staff announced in August 2024 they would be closing the waiting room area at Essex House to allow for extensive building work – with patients still being allowed to access the site for appointments via the rear entrance.

However, in an email sent to registered patients Ariel Healthcare a spokesperson said: ".... we have reviewed our options around how we manage the building repairs while continuing to keep Fore Street building open and operational, and we have concluded that, in fact, the best and safest approach for all would be to temporarily relocate our operations to a new site instead."

The Essex House site was one of 14 GP surgeries which Somerset health bosses identified in September 2020 would need to either expand or relocate in light of local housing growth, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It is understood nearly £50,000 has been raised through developers towards the provision of a third Chard surgery.

The NHS Somerset integrated care board (ICB) stated in August 2024 that a "number of sites and schemes are being discussed but no final decision has been made".

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