PATIENTS at a Bournemouth doctor's surgery will have to attend new premises after their GP decided to relocate his practice.

Dr Andrew Rowland is moving the Woodlea House Surgery in Crantock Grove near Castlepoint into the Strouden Park Medical Centre.

The move is anticipated to take place during early 2020 and will see all staff and services relocate from the current site.

Dr Rowland said: “This move is a great opportunity to work more closely with our colleagues at Strouden Park Medical Centre and we would like to reassure patients that we will continue to offer the same friendly and personal service that patients are used to."

He said that people registered with Woodlea House did not need to do anything to continue to receive services and 'all staff and doctors will continue to work from the new site'.

A statement on the Woodlea House website mentioned the current pressures on NHS GPs. "You will be aware from the media that there has been increasing pressures placed on General Practice nationally," it said. "In order to safeguard the services we provide for our patients we have chosen to work with our nearest GP neighbours, Strouden Park Medical Centre."

The surgery has assured patients that their nurse and community care will remain and they will be able to collect their prescriptions from the same places as usual. However, it was unable to say if there would be improved access to appointments.

"We will continue to review the availability of appointments regularly to ensure patients have access to the care they need," said the website. "If you need to be seen by a GP urgently you will not be turned away."

The news comes after a spate of surgery closures and mergers in the conurbation, including the mighty Shore Medical, which will unite five practices in Bournemouth and Poole and serve nearly 60,000 patients.

Earlier this year The Panton Practice in Gervis Road revealed that it was searching for a site to expand after the number of patients using it had more than doubled in 28 years. In 1991 there were 7,000 patients. Today, there are around 15,000.