PATIENTS have reacted with anger and disappointment after confirmation their village GP surgery is to close.

Despite the best efforts of a campaign to help save it, Danebridge Medical Practice (DMP) will proceed with its plan to close Sandiway Surgery after a meeting of NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group gave its approval last month.

READ> Sandiway surgery to close despite campaign to save it

The surgery, which has been at the heart of Cuddington for more than 75 years was handling around 6,000 appointments every year before the pandemic, but patients will now have to travel to the two other DMP locations - Kingsmead and Danebridge.

Eileen Gould, who has lived in the village for more than 30 years, said the decision was a sad indictment of where medical care is in this country and that the move represented a backward step.

She said: "I've been a patient there since the early days.

"I can drive, so I'm not restricted to public transport.

"But if you can't drive, to get into Danebridge it's a bit of a nightmare really.

"I just think, with regards to GP practices, we've gone backwards.

"We've lost what they're there for.

"They're family doctors providing a local service, yet they're isolating themselves at these bigger practices that are not easy to get to.

"Danebridge and Kingsmead are not the easiest places to park at either, so they also have their own problems too."

Despite the public consultation and the heartfelt 'Save our Surgery' campaign, 76-year-old Mrs Gould said the final decision felt like it was always a formality.

"I think we were on to a losing thing, right from the start," she added.

"I just think it's a sad indictment of GP practices at the moment.

"On quite a few occasions recently, I've had to do private practice, as it's been so hard to get access to a GP.

"I can't honestly see how closing Sandiway will mean both Danebridge and Kingsway are going to improve to meet the needs of the thousands of patients they have."

Another of Sandiway's angry patients is Richard Cheetham, who said DMP had blamed the Covid-19 pandemic for closing the surgery, having already reduced its service to half days about four years ago.

He said: "DMP unacceptably closed the surgery blaming the pandemic when in fact it was a way to leave the surgery to deteriorate.

"Forcing patients to use Kingsmead and Danebridge surgeries.

"Not one person mentioned the hardship and cost for patients having to travel with no suitable public transport.

"No alternatives of service were offered and still not.

"So the surgery will close in 90 days from July 22 2021.

"No appeal, no Minister interjection, even our MP Edward Timpson tried and failed, patients were ignored."

Mr Cheetham, who has a multitude of health issues himself, added that DMP had made all important and necessary appointments to help keep them in check, more and more difficult.

He added: "They blame future NHS guidelines, centralised practices and cost of repair of the surgery, this when the deterioration occurred because DMP closed it for year.

"DMP costed the repairs at £1m.

"Their costing was for a rebuild not a repair."