A HEALTH body has been criticised for its handling of a GP practice’s closure in a damning report by a panel of experts.

The report, the result of an assessment ordered by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, explores the way health bosses managed the March closure of Witney's Deer Park Medical Centre.

It says Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group did not do enough to engage with patients and demanded it create a comprehensive plan for care in Witney.

Last year, the CCG announced that Deer Park Medical Centre would close because nobody could be found to run it after Virgin Care’s contract expired.

Campaigners launched a passionate fight to save the centre, holding demonstrations and at one point applying for a judicial review against the CCG in the High Court which ended unsuccessfully.

The announcement was referred to Mr Hunt in February following a unanimous vote by the Oxfordshire health overview and scrutiny committee, who deemed the decision a 'substantial change'. Mr Hunt referred it to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel.

Its report says the referral is not suitable for a full review, but it has strong words for the CCG.

It reads: “The unilateral determination by the Oxfordshire CCG that the matter was not substantial was not helpful and undermined ongoing dialogue.”

The report said such a decision should be jointly agreed and that, in the case of a disagreement, the view of HOSC should prevail.

It attacked the CCG’s complacency in approaching what it had referred to as a ‘straightforward re-procurement’ and said it must immediately commission a six-month project to develop a comprehensive plan for primary care and related services in Witney and the surrounding area.

The report said any plan should offer a vision for the future which should not preclude the possibility of providing services from Deer Park Medical Centre in future.

It also said states that 1,000 former Deer Park patients (out of more than 4,000) are yet to register elsewhere and urged the CCG to ensure these patients are registered with another practice.

Julie Dandridge, head of Primary Care at the CCG, said: “We welcome the report from the IRP and are reviewing the advice it has provided. We are currently developing a locality plan for west Oxfordshire, including the Witney area. We have patient representatives working with us but will broaden our engagement with the public as this plan develops.

“Most patients previously registered with Deer Park have now registered with an alternative local practice. We urge those people who have not yet done so, to urgently register with another practice. This is important for anyone needing on-going care for a health condition and for screening, but is also important for ensuring they have a GP care for any other health problems that might occur.”