MEMBERS of an action group battling for a replacement GP surgery at Tarrington have accused two health authorities in the county of letting them down.

They claim that both promised a branch surgery would be established in the village to replace a full time practice which closed when the single handed doctor running it, retired.

After a year of negotiations they acknowledge, with extreme disappointment this was now unlikely to happen.

Tarrington Surgery Action Group has called on Herefordshire Community Health Council, the public watchdog's body, to convene another pubic meeting to explain the reasons for what they call the failure of the project.

But the council has responded that it does not believe another meeting could serve any useful or constructive purpose.

In a letter to the group, chairman Allan Lloyd said the Tarrington community had been kept fully and properly appraised of developments, including being advised of the reasons why a branch surgery was not viable.

As well as meetings every patient had received four letters from the CHC.

Patients had also been invited to complete a a postal questionnaire to express their views about the services provided by the Fownhope practice, where they are registered.

Round 1,600 of these were being analysed and the results will be made public in the near future.

The CHC chief executive Sue Clarke said her authority had not made any promises to provide a branch surgery at Tarrington and had done everything in its power to help find the best solution for patients in the area.

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"They have had more time spent on them by this authority than any other community in Herefordshire,'' she said.

Paul Bates, chief executive of Herefordshire Primary Care Trust which is accused by the action group of having 'great difficulty in managing this situation' also denied that promises of a branch surgery had been made.

"We were not in a position to make promises. We do not employ GPs they are independent practitioners and we cannot tell them where they must open surgeries,'' he said.

Mr Bates also defended the CHC saying it had made huge efforts in its determination to look after the interests of patients in Tarrington.

When the Tarrington GP retired a year ago patients were transferred on a temporary basis to the neighbouring Fownhope practice.

"Every practice in the county was invited to consider running a surgery in Tarrington and only Fownhope agreed to look at it,' said Sue Clarke

The Tarrington Action Group agreed the service provided from Fownhope was of good standard and there was some sympathy for the practice that it 'did not receive the support, particularly financial, that had been promised by the authorities'.

The main concern was that Fownhope surgery was not easily accessible for some patients from Tarrington.

The group says it will continue in its role for a further period to ensure there is no deterioration of health care standards within its community.

Members have also asked MP Bill Wiggin to intervene and examine the details of the case which they regard as 'highly unsatisfactory'.