COUNCILLORS have pledged to provide closer scrutiny around a County Durham GP practice after one of its surgeries closed for good.

Skerne Medical Group (SMG) last month won support to shut its Trimdon Village site but lost out on proposals to close its surgery in Fishburn.

The decision was made at a meeting of NHS Durham Dales  Easington and Sedgefield (DDES CCG) and North Durham’s Clinical Commissioning Groups, despite widespread opposition.

At a special meeting of the Durham Adults, Wellbeing and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee at County Hall this week, Trimdon and Thornley Cllr Jude Grant criticised the practice for failing to take up offers from developers to build a health centre in Trimdon and for the way the public engagement was carried out.

Fellow division Cllr Peter Brookes called for DDES CCG to monitor the impact of the closure, including footfall on other surgeries, A&E pressures and mortality rates.

He said: “Just because they closed Trimdon Village it’s not going to reduce demand, the same number of people will be going to see GPs, they will just be travelling now.”

As part of 12-month review of services, chief officer of DDES CCG, Stuart Findlay, said the CCG was considering a change of use of Sedgefield Community Hospital as a possible home for the practice.

Other options included working with developers to build a health centre in Trimdon Village.

Mr Findlay stressed the recent closure aimed to protect the practice’s sustainability.

Committee chairman, Cllr John Robinson, called for a report outlining their plans, ongoing review and future engagement with patients.