A GP surgery on Canvey has appointed a new doctor to bolster its service to patients.

The Hawkesbury Road GP surgery has a new permanent GP who will treat patients transferred from the Long Road satellite branch which is set to close.

The Hawkesbury Road branch will remain fully operational and the surgery will no longer be run from the two locations.

Kevin McKenny, director of integration and transformation at NHS Castle Point and Rochford clinical commissioning group (CCG), said: “As commissioners, it is our role to ensure GP practices are able to provide the best possible care.

“This consolidation on one site is important for the viability and future of this practice going forward and will support the delivery of high quality, resilient, primary care for the people of Canvey now and in the future.We would like to reassure patients that there will be no reduction in clinical service.”

Hawkesbury Road’s new GP will begin work at the surgery on Monday, October 2.

The addition is intended to give the surgery enough capacity to take on the patients who are previously had appointments at the Long Road branch.

Ray Howard, the councillor Canvey West was happy to hear the news.

He is hopeful the surgery can maintain the standard of care for its current patients, and those patients previously at Long Road.

He said: “I do not like to see surgeries closing especially as we have an ageing community here on Canvey, but overall this is good news.

“Dr Ghauri has an extremely good name and a big number of patients and the fact the CCG is appointing someone new should really help to treat those people.”

*The Echo would like to apologise for any confusion caused by a story printed in yesterday’s Canvey edition.

The story entitled “GP surgery set to close’” wrongly made a reference to Hawkesbury Road GP Surgery being closed down.

This is not the case.

As this story states it’s in fact the satellite surgery in Long Road which will close.

We apologise for any confusion caused.