THE mayor of Witney has urged the community to come together to fight the closure of a GP surgery with 4,400 patients. 

More than 100 residents attended a meeting at the Corn Exchange earlier this evening to express their objection to the planned closure of Deer Park Medical Centre. 

It was revealed last month that the surgery was to close following failed negotiations between Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and Virgin Care. 

Chairman of the meeting and town mayor Chris Holliday said: "The whole town needs to galvanise behind this group. 

"It's up to all of us to make sure all of our areas know what the action plan is and to seriously lobby the CCG and Virgin Care - otherwise it will be taken as apathy."

Many at the meeting raised concerns that other surgeries were not capable of taking on patients from Deer Park, and said they would join the fight to prevent the surgery from closing its doors. 

Patient Linda Sturt, of Minster Lovell, said: "I couldn't believe it when I first heard the news - then I called the surgery and had it confirmed. It's made me very unwell just thinking about it. 

"I'm just an ordinary patient but I will not stop fighting to save it."

At the moment the CCG has advised patients to stay at Deer Park. The organisation extended the closure date to March 31 next year to ensure patients had time to make alternative arrangements with other surgeries in the town.