I am concerned about the fact that the surgery in Copmanthorpe has applied to City of York Council for planning permission to extend so it can ‘merge’ with another ‘nearby’ (Old School Medical Practice in Copmanthorpe to double capacity, December 28).

The other is Bishopthorpe - my surgery - and it certainly isn’t nearby to Copmanthorpe. It is already partly merged with Copmanthorpe as we are often encouraged to go there.

We left our previous village as we got older because it lost its post office, had few buses and no surgery.

We were impressed at the beginning in often getting to see a doctor the same day in Bishopthorpe.

But the picture is depressing for a major village like Bishopthorpe now, with the bus service under threat and now the surgery. Old people can’t always drive.

We need a new surgery in the centre of Bishopthorpe to meet our community needs as a priority - and an altruistic resident to donate land for it.

Keith Massey, Bishopthorpe