EXTRA support is set to be offered to a medical centre in Burnley that had asked health chiefs to temporarily suspend any additional patients to its GP list because of staff shortages.

Dr Kazam Khan and the team at Daneshouse Medical Centre have been under increasing pressure as they have struggled to appoint a second practice GP, a practice nurse, health-care assistant and part-time receptionist.

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The previous permanent GP left in September 2013 and an application was made to East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group to close its practice list for 12 months.

The CCG ruled that the proposed closure should be deferred – but it was recognised that more assistance was needed to provide a proper service for the centre’s 3,539 patients.

Burnley MP Julie Cooper, whose pharmacy was located close to the medical centre, said: “It is a massive problem for the NHS, recruiting GPs in difficult areas like this.

“I know the doctor there very well and I know it’s one of the best practices around. It is something that the government needs to address. I’ve spoken with newly-qualified doctors and they would rather be working anywhere other than GP surgeries.”

Councillor Gordon Birtwistle, Liberal Democrat leader for the borough council, added: “Dr Khan is a very hard-working and dedicated GP, delivering an amazing service. When I was MP I tried to get the health trust to try and help him. But it has proved very hard to get a GP to work in that area.”

Locum sessions have been arranged to provide extra cover, but the main GP is still on a rota that presents him with a 52-hour working week.

An East Lancashire CCG said: “It has been recognised that the sole GP at the practice will need additional support due to the demands of the practice.

“This practice has a significantly higher than average proportion of younger adult population, compared to the CCG average, with many patients suffering from long-term illnesses, requiring significant support.”

But the CCG board felt, under their ‘duty of care’, that a temporary list closure would not address the underlying problems and deferred a decision on that.

“It is important to note that existing patients registered with the practice will continue to receive care from the GP and the staff at the practice, and there is no intention to close the practice,” added the spokesman.