A NEWPORT medical centre will close in April despite hundreds of its patients calling for their GP services to continue to be provided there.

Almost 2,200 patients of the Malpas Medical Centre practice will transfer to Malpas Brook practice from April 1.

The medical centre closure follows the retirement last autumn of the GP who ran the single-handed practice based there. It has since been staffed by locum family doctors provided through Aneurin Bevan Health Board.

The Malpas Brook practice, which has three GPs according to its website and a much larger patient list, has been selected to take over the Malpas Medical Centre list.

A survey of Malpas Medical Centre patients carried out by Gwent's independent patients' watchdog, Aneurin Bevan Community Health Council (CHC), revealed that, of those who took the time to reply, a small majority (203 to 191) were in favour, though the CHC called the opposition "substantial."

But 350 respondents (87 per cent) considered the retention of Malpas Medical Centre as important or very important, while just 28 (seven per cent) did not.

Convenience and ease of access were cited as important factors by more than 200 respondents, while other positive factors commented upon include the personal service of a small practice, and its open appointment and drop-in services.

The surgeries are over a mile away from each other.

CHC deputy chief officer David Kenny, in a report on the patient survey, said that while there was a small majority of respondents in favour of merger, "Many respondents clearly see change as a threat rather than an opportunity."

He concludes that "a strong and effective communications strategy" will be required by the successor practice, to explain the benefits, particularly regarding the closure of the Malpas Medical Centre and changes to appointments and other systems.

Two meetings will be held at Malpas Medical Centre this week, tomorrow and on Thursday, to explain changes to patients.

One, 74-year-old Richard Finighan, of Claremont, Malpas, expects a lot of "angry" patients to attend.