AN EMERGENCY meeting between NHS bosses and a district council has tried to reassure residents that a GP out of hours service will return – hopefully within a fortnight.
Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby Clinical Commissioning Group announced that the Richmondshire service, based at the Duchess of Kent Barracks in Catterick Garrison, was being moved after a MoD safety inspection rated the building sub-standard.
Despite, protests from Richmondshire councillors and residents, the service was moved to the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton – in the neighbouring Hambleton district.
No indication was given on how long residents may have to travel the extra 36 miles from Catterick Garrison to Northallerton and back.
But Dr Ros Tolcher, chief executive of service provider Harrogate and District Hospital Trust, told a special meeting of Richmondshire District Council’s scrutiny committee that she hoped the service would return to Catterick Garrison by November 11, where it would move to Harewood House surgery.
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