A public drop-in event will be held in Laugharne next week to provide residents with a further opportunity to discuss the application from the Coach and Horses GP Surgery in St. Clears, to close their Laugharne Branch Surgery.

Hywel Dda University Health Board is organising the event, which will take place between 3pm and 6pm on Tuesday, February 6 at Laugharne Memorial Hall.

The Health Board received the application from the Coach and Horses GP Surgery in St. Clears, to close their Laugharne Branch Surgery in Carmarthenshire last year.

Hywel Dda University Health Board’s Director of Primary Care, Jill Paterson said:

“In response to the number of patients who have expressed a wish to participate in the public engagement event but did not feel that they were able to raise all of their concerns at the session in November 2023 a further engagement event will be held for those  who have not had the opportunity to share their views so far. 

“What we have heard from patients and stakeholders in the engagement programme to date will be compiled with the views from a second, and final event to be held on Tuesday, 6 February 2024.  A recommendation on the way forward will be considered by the Health Board in March 2024.”

The main reasons provided by the Practice for the application to close the Laugharne branch surgery are:

The Practice has faced major problems in sustaining its core workforce and has been unable to provide GP sessions at the Laugharne Branch Surgery since April 2020.

In order to protect the provision of general medical services, the GP Partners feel that this will allow them to centralise their staff and services, which will in turn support the future sustainability of the GP Practice.

There are challenges across the UK in the recruitment and retention of general medical practitioners (GPs).