CONTROVERSIAL plans to close a Rossendale village surgery will go ahead on June 1.

But health chiefs say they have done all they can to accommodate patients at Edenfield surgery, Market Street, by coming up with a compromise deal.

Transport arrangements for patients who will now transfer to the new St James Medical Centre, Rawtenstall, are being set up. Campaigners against the closure were worried elderly people in particular would have to catch two buses to get to the new surgery.

Health bosses are negotiating extra bus services for a route from the village to the new health centre and elderly transport providers County Cars have agreed special fares to the health centre.

When a patient is considered unable to travel by themselves to the surgery, a home visit will be arranged.

The nearby Edenfield pharmacy will remain open to allow people to renew repeat prescriptions there.

The decision to close was made by Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Primary Care Trust. It came after an application by the partners in charge of the Edenfield surgery, Dr Bunting and partners, said it was no longer viable.

The practice said the plans were aimed at reducing running costs but it also faced a huge bill for work required to bring the surgery up to standard under the Disability Discrimination Act.

A questionnaire was sent out to 2,700 local patients asking them whether they wanted to transfer to St James; de-register from the practice and transfer to a new service led by the PCT; or transfer to another practice altogether. Of 1,588 respondents, 811 wanted to remain with Dr Bunting at St James Centre, 673 wanted another service and 66 wanted to transfer to another GP.

Edenfield councillor Jeff Cheetham said he would still prefer to see a GP in the village and would look at other avenues to secure that.

He said: "The people in Edenfield would like to have a doctor they can go and see in the village. I've lived here 38 years and have always just walked across and seen the doctor.

"I think there were a great number of people who were not on Dr Bunting's list who would have liked to have seen a new service set up here. We have a lot of new villagers who came here when the surgery list was closed."

PCT leaders and representatives from the practice are arranging to meet with the residents to explain the details of the move.

Chairman of Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Community Health Council Don Pacey said they were prepared to accept the closure now the conditions were in place.