'˜Upset' over Leeds GP surgery closure

Whinmoor Surgery will shut at the end of the month after plans to replace Dr Makram Mossad fell through.

Around 2,000 patients will be affected by the closure of the premises on White Laithe Approach.

Dr Mossad, who built the surgery nearly 25 years ago, said he notified NHS bosses months ago that he was retire.

It is understood proposals had been drawn up for GPs from other practices to run surgeries at Whinmoor when Dr Mossad left.

However Dr Mossad says he was told last week that this would no longer happen and the surgery would close, leaving patients needing to change GPs.

“The patients are devastated,” he said. “Some of the elderly people have been crying. They will have to cross the ring road to get to other practices.”

He said that there was still a great need for a GP in the area as thousands of new homes are set to be built nearby.

Pharmacist David Rapaport, owner of Whinmoor Pharmacy which serves the surgery, said if the closure went ahead it was “in the balance” whether his business would survive.

Kathryn Hilliam, head of co-commissioning at NHS England – North (Yorkshire and the Humber) said: “NHS England is committed to ensuring everyone has access to high quality GP services and we are in the process of writing to patients registered at the practice.”