PATIENTS are being asked to voice their views on plans to close a village GP surgery in Crawshawbooth.

The practice aims to close the Burnley Road centre and relocate its main surgery in Rawtenstall Health Centre to a new surgery on the site of former St James the Less primary school on Burnley Road, Rawtenstall.

A formal application for the changes has gone to East Lancashire Health Authority which is consulting on the issue with Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Community Health Council.

Now the health watchdog group wants to hear from patients before deciding its stance on the proposed closure.

The practice says it wants to close Crawshawbooth surgery because:

Access is difficult for people with prams, wheelchairs and for the elderly.

There are problems of the practice having to cover three surgery sites -- Rawtenstall, Edenfield and Crawshawbooth -- with a higher patient-doctor ratio than average. The new surgery at St James the Less will have much better facilities and will allow doctors and nurses to extend their services to include minor surgery, child health surveillance and more diabetic clinics.

The Health Council says it wants to know whether patients are prepared to travel further to take advantage of better facilities or whether they feel it is more important to keep the branch surgery in the village.

The CHC says it will discuss the issue on November 7 before passing on its findings to the Health Authority for decision. The council can be contacted by writing to its office at 79 Church Street, Burnley BB11 2RS or calling on 01282 452116.