CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save their GP practice have threatened Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt with legal action.

The decision to close Witney’s Deer Park Medical Centre was referred to Mr Hunt last month by an Oxfordshire health committee.

Patients battling to retain the surgery, which is due to close at the end of this month, have now said they will refer the MP to a judge if a final decision is not made soon.

Solicitors working on behalf of patient Yvonne De Burgo sent a letter of intent to Mr Hunt last Wednesday, urging him to make a decision quickly or face an application for judicial review. The surgery’s patient participation group (PPG) has said it will begin helping to disperse patients to other practices if things have not changed by Friday.

PPG chairwoman Brenda Churchill said: “We’re trying to force Jeremy Hunt to come to a decision and do it this week.

“It’s been with him now for weeks. Everyone seems to be taking their time over things – and we don’t have time.”

The legal action was initiated at about the same time Witney MP Robert Courts wrote to Mr Hunt urging him to make a decision.

He wrote: “Many of my constituents are upset that they will be left with no access to a doctor and no place to transfer elsewhere should they continue to wait.

“They are unwilling to re-register until they learn the outcome of this referral.

“Please would you respond to this matter urgently. I am worried about patients who have been left in limbo and are fearing the worst for their surgery. I would strongly ask for this case to be sent to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel as soon as possible.”

When the contract for provision of care at Deer Park went out to tender last year, Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group said no bids were submitted which offered to provide the service at an affordable cost.

The contract had previously been held by Virgin Care.

On February 2, Oxfordshire’s health overview and scrutiny committee (HOSC) unanimously voted to declare the closure of Deer Park a ‘substantial change’ and asked Mr Hunt to review the plans.

Mrs De Burgo previously applied for a judicial review against Oxfordshire CCG over an alleged failure to properly consult on the decision to close Deer Park. A High Court judge dismissed the case over matters relating to timing on February 1.

Neither Mrs De Burgo or the Department for Health responded to a request for comment before going to press.