Congresbury’s GP surgery, temporarily closed since 2022, is now at risk of permanent closure. Mendip Vale Medical Group, which operates the practice, has proposed making the closure official due to significant challenges with the existing facility.
At a North Somerset Council health scrutiny committee meeting on March 12, associate divisional director Lois Reed explained that the current building is too small and lacks adequate facilities. Staff recruitment and retention have also been hampered by the limited space. Reviving the surgery would require an estimated investment of £300,000—a sum the medical group cannot afford.
Plans to construct a new surgery have been abandoned largely because escalating land prices, fueled by nearby housing developments, have made acquiring a suitable site financially unfeasible. In the meantime, patients have been redirected to nearby surgeries in Yatton and Langford.
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The medical group is exploring options to repurpose the existing surgery building, possibly transferring ownership to a local organization to use as a community hub.
Debbie Freeman from the NHS integrated care board noted, “Not all rural villages have a GP practice. Congresbury is one of the ones that have been fortunate in the past.” Committee chair Helen Thornton remarked that while the premises were recognized as unfit, the lack of funding to replace them was unfortunate.
Local councillor Wendy Griggs expressed support for the closure, citing the building’s constraints, but raised concerns about limited public transport options for residents needing access to alternative surgeries. She also highlighted issues with patients struggling to receive support via phone-based e-consultations.
Dr. Joanna King from Mendip Vale Medical Group acknowledged these challenges, committing to better staff training for e-consult assistance and offering transport to patients with urgent needs. She also described the rural setting’s transport difficulties as “a form of deprivation.”
The final decision on the surgery’s status will be made by the Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board.