BISHOPTHORPE’S only city councillor has accused Liberal Democrats of ‘building up false hope’ about the future of the village’s GP surgery.

Independent Cllr John Galvin says the surgery’s present building is ‘not fit for purpose’ – and that he doesn’t think there is another suitable site in the village.

The lease on the existing surgery building expires next summer.

The Old School Medical Practice, which runs both the Bishopthorpe surgery and its sister surgery in Copmanthorpe, has submitted a planning application to extend the Copmanthorpe premises by creating six new clinical rooms. This would allow the two surgeries to merge, it says.

Planning documents say this would allow NHS bosses to ‘rationalise the number of properties within this area, as well as providing … a fit for purpose medical centre’.

But the move has sparked concerns that the Bishopthorpe surgery could close altogether, making it difficult for Bishopthorpe villagers without a car to see their GP.

As there is no direct bus route between the two villages, residents without their own transport would have to go into York to get a bus to Copmanthorpe.

York’s Liberal Democrats say the potential closure is ‘extremely concerning’ and have created a petition calling for it to be kept open.

But Cllr Galvin said he did not think there was another suitable property for the surgery in Bishopthorpe.

He added: “It’s all well and good the Lib Dems campaign to try to keep the surgery, but the lease runs out next year – they don’t own the surgery – and the building is not fit for purpose. They can’t change those two issues. They’re playing politics.”

Cllr Galvin said he understood the Old School Medical Practice was looking at the possibility of offering transport to people from Bishopthorpe and to increase their pool of GPs to offer more home visits.

But Bishopthorpe resident Romy Dunn said she thought ‘the council, the NHS and the surgery should be doing everything they can to keep a surgery in Bishopthorpe’.

The Lib Dems’ Cllr Nigel Ayre said: “The requirement to travel to Copmanthorpe will leave many who don’t have access to a car without access to a GP.

“I will be contacting representatives of the practice and continuing discussions with the Integrated Care Board (ICB), to ensure all possible options are explored to retain access to crucial primary care.”

Bishopthorpe isn’t the only GP service under threat in York. Elvington Medical Practice in Wheldrake has not reopened since closing early in the pandemic, while Stockton on the Forest surgery’s future is also in doubt.

York Labour group leader Cllr Claire Douglas said: “It beggars belief that somewhere the size of Bishopthorpe doesn’t justify its own GP surgery.”

A spokesperson for NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB said the lease on the Bishopthorpe building would end next year. “The practice has been exploring potential options for its longer term future,” they said. “However, no proposals or decisions have been made.”

The petition created by the Lib Dems and local campaigner Chris Gammie is at https://digitallibdems.typeform.com/bishgp