THE future of a Lake District medical practice has been secured after a new long-term provider has been found.

Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (LSCICB) has announced that Cumbria Health on Call (CHoC) will be the new long-term provider for the GP practice based at Ambleside Health Centre and Hawkshead Surgery.

The announcement comes following the decision of the previous partners at Central Lakes Medical Group to resign as GP partners from the turn of the year. 

CHoC is already working at the practice sites having previously agreed to manage the practice on a temporary basis until April 2023 when the new contract is due to start. 

Dr David Levy, medical director of LSCICB said: "We are very pleased to confirm the successful outcome of the procurement process we undertook to find a new provider for the Central Lakes Medical Practice. 

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"I would also like to thank all GPs that have worked at Central Lakes Medical Practice and specifically Dr Ward, Dr Cook, and Dr Davies for their hard work and commitment to both patients and staff at the practice."

CHoC chief executive Susan Blakemore said: "We are delighted to have this opportunity to provide care for the patients of Central Lakes Medical Group - the practice team is dedicated to providing their patients with high quality and effective care, values which are shared by CHoC.

"Alongside the existing practice team who do a tremendous job, I am pleased that we have been able to recruit locally-based GPs to work at the practice which will add fantastic value in terms of both local knowledge and continuity of care."

MP Tim Farron has welcomed the news.

He said: "I would like to thank everyone who became involved in the campaign.

"In particular, I want to pay tribute to Doctors Cook, Ward, and Davies.

"Their dedication and service to our community have been immense and I cannot thank them enough. 

"It is disgraceful that underfunding of rural GP services led to them having to hand back their contract with the NHS in the first place.

"However, now that this period of worrying uncertainty is over, it is also right that we celebrate an important success for our communities in the central Lakes. 

"We were threatened with the loss of our vital GP surgeries, we stood together, we fought back together, and we won."