SOUTH Lakes MP Tim Farron has urged the government to reconsider increases to service charges on NHS properties that could endanger the future of a rural medical practice.

Last autumn, the Central Lakes Medical Group were hit with a proposed £25,000 increase in service charges at its Ambleside site because of a change in how NHS property is managed.

Speaking at the time, practice manager Kaye Ward said: "They (the government) are trying to more-than-double the service charge. We have asked them to justify the rise and we are at an impasse with them basically.

"We have told them we can't afford the rise.

"Hopefully we won't have to pay it but if the service charge does get put up by that much then I don't know how we will manage to keep on going to be honest."

During health questions in Parliament, Mr Farron asked Jeremy Hunt if he would directly intervene to guarantee that Ambleside surgery would not have to pay the increase.

The Health Secretary said he would look at this situation again and said he does not want to see any GP close.

Tim said: "The surgery at Ambleside provides a vital service for hundreds of local people, but the sad fact of the matter is it simply won’t be able to afford the colossal bill that the Government have given them.

"Jeremy Hunt said in Parliament today that he wants to see no GP close as a result of increased service charges so I’m glad that he has agreed to look again at this case as a matter of urgency.

"I will continue to hold the Government’s feet to the fire until they back down over this daylight robbery."

Rural medical practices, such as the one in Ambleside, have already been hit by the gradual removal of the minimum practice income guarantee (MPIG) which is being phased out over a seven year period.

This is the fifth year of that process and the estimated amount of annual income lost to the Central Lakes Medical Group is estimated to be around £30,000.

"MPIG is being cut, and we still have a lot of that to be phased out," said Dr Ward. "As this happens, our income goes down, and recruitment becomes an issue. The extra service charge will only worsen that."