GOODWICK surgery will close next week with all patients transferred to the neighbouring Fishguard surgery, Hywel Dda Health Board has confirmed.

Goodwick surgery will close on Friday, March 1st. The surgery has been managed by the health board since the retirement of GP, Dr Van Kempen in 2015.

The last surgery's last remaining GP resigned in December 2016 and since then the practice has been run using a telephone triage system and locum GPs.

Despite extensive advertisement of a GP vacancy offering a salary of £84,000 in 2017, the health board did not receive a single application or enquiry.

It was decided early last year to close the surgery and amalgamate it with Fishguard. In August health secretary, Vaughan Gething, confirmed £646,000 funding to refurbish Fishguard Health Centre, creating two additional treatment rooms and an integrated health centre.

This will open to Goodwick patients on Monday, March 4.

The amalgamated practice will have nearly double the amount of patients at just under 10,000.

"While we anticipate a significant increase in workload for the larger practice, the Fishguard surgery has been building the GP team ahead of the amalgamation," said a letter to Fishguard patients from senior GP Dr Mann.

The practice currently has four nurses and five permanent GPs, although one of these will shortly be going on maternity leave. Another GP has been appointed to start work in mid-March. A clinical pharmacist will also be joining the team.

"While we have been preparing and planning for this transition for some time, the amalgamation will nevertheless present a major challenge for both the clinical and administrative staff working at Fishguard Health Centre," said the letter.

The newly renovated health centre will hold an open evening on Wednesday, March 20, from 5pm until 7pm.