GREAT Western Hospital is looking to take over two GP surgeries run by shambles-hit IMH.

The Clinical Commissioning Group, which manages primary health care, said GWH could run Abbey Meads and Moredon medical centres, bringing in staff to ‘stabilise’ the current situation.

This follows last week’s revelation that new managers have been found for two of IMH’s surgeries in the town.

Westrop Medical Practice will be the new provider for Taw Hill and Victoria Cross Surgery will take on Eldene.

But at a public meetings on Monday night and yesterday, concerns were raised.

One man said: “If any of us has been in the hospital recently, we know that it is like Victoria Station. How on earth are they going to take on two medical practices with hundreds or thousands of other patients?

“When I came this evening, I was worried about the NHS, I am even more worried now.”

Over recent months many people have raised concerns over the five IMH practices, with many facing huge difficulties in getting appointments.

Director of strategy and transformation Nicki Millin said the arrangement with GWH would bring more specialist staff.

She said: “GWH employs nurses specialised in diabetes, heart disease and it will be able to support practices.”

Many of the patients thought the public meetings came too late. Gabrielle Tyrrell, 66, of Gorse Hill, said: “I have been at the Moredon practice since birth, so it leaves you feeling bereft, not having someone that you know you can see and talk to.

“I haven’t changed doctors because I’m hoping that it will improve and so we have got to give them the opportunity to do that.”

Joe Backshell, 85, from Taw Hill said: “The main problem was booking an appointment, feeling like 'should I make up a phone call or should I go to A&E?’.

“A lot of people did not understand what was going on and that’s the reason why people couldn’t understand why it was getting so difficult.”

GWH will have a board meeting tomorrow and provide more information on its plans.

A spokesman for GWH NHS Foundation Trust said: “Providing GP services, alongside our hospital and community healthcare services, would provide us with some exciting opportunities to improve the experience of patients and their families by making care feel more joined-up.

“While leading a more integrated approach to care across Swindon is central to our long-term strategy, we must carefully consider whether now is the right time to expand in this direction.

“Important considerations include our financial position and our ambitious programme of work to expand urgent and emergency services and build an intensive rehabilitation centre, among other projects to grow our existing services in Swindon.

“We are exploring all of the options and will make a decision in the coming weeks, which we believe will be in the best interest of the trust, the GP practices and the people of Swindon.”

Labour parliamentary candidate for North Swindon Kate Linnegar said: “I would like to say that if patients hadn’t pushed and forced it, this probably would have not been happened, we would probably still have IMH in place. This really has been a patient-led movement, which is wonderful.

“I don’t doubt that people are trying to sort this out, but I don’t know if they have gotten it right yet. And we are only going to be able to tell when they start to put this thing in place.

"Unfortunately, IMH trashed what was left of the surgeries, we know that they were struggling but they had some superb long-term experience staff in there who were kind of forced out. “