I am writing on behalf of our medical practice to thank the Evening Press and Radio York for the help they have given to local people during the recent and continuing flood crisis.

Naturally we are grateful to both media for informing our patients of our particular problems at Peckitt Street Surgery and the ways in which we are trying to overcome them.

We are now increasing surgeries at South Bank Medical Centre, our other centre.

The good news is that a contractor, who has quoted for repairs and renewals at Peckitt Street, believes he can make it fully operational by Christmas.

Our Peckitt Street premises are not ideal for modern medical practice: we need more space, more ground floor surgeries and disabled access.

We have been looking for new premises in the city centre for about five years and after December 5 we will be the only general practice with premises within the city walls.

Projects have been hampered by site difficulties, escalating costs of inner-city projects and planning permission problems including the planning blight imposed by Coppergate II.

It would be relatively easy for us to move out of the city centre but the practice has been within the city walls since before the National Health Service was set up in 1948.

We feel there is a need for a medical practice within the city to serve the increasing local population as well as the hundreds of visitors who spend days or weeks in York and need medical attention. We have a verbal commitment from the city council that they are keen to have medical services provided in the city centre. We trust that we will soon have the chance to test that commitment with a further planning application.

Dr B J Ormston,

Jorvik Medical Practice

Peckitt Street, York.