A DOCTORS surgery which has been running for more than 38 years in a town centre faces closure.

Around 600 patients at Dr Alam’s Surgery, in Darwen, may be forced to seek care elsewhere as health bosses at parent company, Umar Medical Centre, consider closing the branch.

The decision to 'restructure' the Railway Road practice comes as one of the doctors, Dr Anwar Alam, prepares to retire.

A new partnership of three experienced GP's have joined Dr Alam as he prepares to relieve his duties and the three are now considering transferring patients to Hollins Grove Surgery, on Blackburn Road, Darwen.

It is hoped the move will improve patient care and service experience with daily appointments available to patients at Hollins Grove instead of just three days a week for GP appointments and one day a week for nurse appointments at the town centre premises.

Waiting times were also seen as a problem by patients at Dr Alam's, with 29 per cent saying their appointment was delayed for too long in the 2017 annual GP Patient Survey.

A spokesman for Umar Medical Centre said: "There is a new partnership of three experienced GP’s who have joined Dr Alam at Umar Medical Centre as Dr Alam will be imminently retiring. The partnership is looking to restructure the practice, and improve performance and efficiency.

"One of the efficiencies the new partnership is currently considering is closing the branch at Railway Road Darwen and transferring the care of the patients to Hollins Grove Surgery.

"However patients will have the opportunity of registering with an alternative practice of their choice."

The proposal comes just seven months after Umar Medical Centre was put in special measures and received an inadequate CQC rating, which judges the quality of health and social care provided by GP practices.

One patient at Dr Alam's, who wishes to remain anonymous, described the sudden closure as ‘bad’ and ‘unprofessional’.

The 41-year-old dad-of-four, who has thyroid cancer, said: “I have tried to book an appointment there for the last two weeks and on Monday I was told it was closing down in the next few days.

“I have used the surgery for over 38 years, since I was a child, and to do his is both bad and very unprofessional.

“I have lived in the town centre for most of my life and only walking distance from where I live. I do not want to go to a different doctors surgery.”

Darwen Cllr Roy Davies, the Mayor of Darwen Town Council, added: “News of the closure does concern me because we are short of doctors as it is and this will put more pressure on every other surgery throughout Darwen.”