A HEALTH watchdog has urged patients of a Witney GP practice faced with closure to re-register with another surgery.

More than 3,000 patients remain registered at Deer Park Medical Centre, in Edington Square, despite its impending closure at the end of the month.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire today warned that their care could be ‘compromised’ if they end up not being registered with a GP at all.

Rosalind Pearce, executive director of Healthwatch Oxfordshire, said: “We understand that some patients have been holding on, waiting for the situation at Deer Park to be sorted out in the belief that they will not have to move surgery.

“Our view is that they should move before it is too late, and if the situation changes at Deer Park they can always move back.

“One of the easiest things that patients can do to look after their own health and well-being is to be registered at a GP surgery and it is clearly in their interests to register now.”

On Friday, the patient participation group at Deer Park stopped urging patients to remain at the practice and begin helping them re-register elsewhere.

The decision to close the centre was referred to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt last month by an Oxfordshire health committee.

Patients battling to retain the surgery have now launched an application for judicial review against Mr Hunt for not making a decision quickly enough.

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 to provide the service at an affordable cost.

The contract had previously been held by Virgin Care.