PATIENTS are protesting about plans by two medical practices to close village surgeries.

Public meetings are scheduled over proposals by the Auckland Medical Group to replace surgeries at Cockton Hill Road, St Helen Auckland and Coundon with a new centre in the south of Bishop Auckland.

Petitions are circulating in some of the communities affected, while Wear Valley District Council has denied a claim in a consultation leaflet that it has earmarked part of a recreation area in Tindale Crescent for the development.

Durham Dales Primary Care Trust initially refused a council request for it to withdraw the leaflet and cancel the meetings, although the first meeting due to be held last Tuesday was later called off.

The others are on Tuesday in Bishop Auckland Town Hall, and Tuesday, January 25, in Wilson Avenue, Coundon, both at 7pm. In High Etherley, near Bishop Auckland, there are concerns that the closure of the village's branch of Drs Julia and Richard Pickworth's practice could make it difficult for elderly residents to see a doctor.

It is scheduled to shut on February 28 with patients having the option of transferring to the other branch of the surgery at Butterknowle.

The High Etherley surgery currently holds appointments for two hours on Mondays and Wednesdays and three hours on Fridays.

On average only 75 per cent of the available appointments are used and 28 per cent of those are used by patients from Butterknowle.

The doctors believe the closure of the branch would free up time which could be better spent at Butterknowle.

However, one patient at High Etherley who did not wish to be named, said: "Most of the patients are elderly and there is no direct bus service.

"The practice only opened in 1991, a lot of patients will have moved practices and stopped travelling down to Bishop Auckland. They would have stayed where they were it they had known."

A Trust spokeswoman said that the surgery does not have a full range of services, so patients there are often asked to attend Butterknowle for diagnostics such as ECG or spirometry.

"Patients have been given the chance to remain with the practice and transfer to Butterknowle.

"As always patients are free to change practices if they wish and there are several neighbouring practices with patient spaces."