A GP surgery in an Isle of Wight village will not close and move to another town after all, it has been confirmed, after a dramatic U-turn was made over its future.
Wootton Bridge Medical Centre, on Brannon Way, which is part of Medina Healthcare, had been expected to permanently relocate to Newport.
A decision was made after significant structural issues were found with the building, which was only ten years old at the time.
Now, Solent NHS Trust has confirmed it will take over the running of Medina Healthcare from September and will deliver a 'continued practice' at the same premises in Wootton.
Read more: Isle of Wight doctors' surgery in Wootton to move to Newport
In a letter to patients, Alisdair Snell, chief operating officer, said there are also plans to develop a 'new, larger' surgery at the former NatWest building on Newport's Riverway Industrial Estate, opening in the summer of 2025.
A spokesperson said: "Experts have confirmed that the Wootton site remains safe for us to use alongside the necessary monitoring.
"Any building works required on the current Wootton site would be scheduled following the completion of the Riverway site."
The announcement will come as welcome news to the 9,000 patients in Wootton.
When closure plans were first revealed, they were met with "anger" by residents, who said they felt they had been "stabbed in the back".
Original plans sought to close the Wootton surgery, merge it with its other facility on West Street in Newport and move both to Riverway in one building.
Isle of Wight councillor for Wootton Bridge, Sarah Redrup said: "I am incredibly pleased to hear that Solent NHS will be keeping a GP in Wootton.
"I want to say a huge thank you to the Solent NHS, the ICB, Assura and Medina Healthcare for listening to the needs to the community.
"They have worked hard to figure out a solution that works for both groups of patients in Wootton and in Newport.
"I also want to thank the residents who engaged in the consultation process and made your voices heard!"
Mr Snell added: "The current Island-based practice team will continue to provide you with the same dedicated care, and we will ensure a smooth transition to these new arrangements."
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