A Lake District village is at risk of losing its local GP practice after 170 years – and the parish council has created a video to try and recruit replacements.
Dr Katharina Frey and Dr Ahmed Abbas, who run Coniston Village Surgery at Wraysdale House, announced that from August 1 2025, they will hand their contract back to the NHS.
Dr Frey will retire and the practice said it was unable to recruit a new partner.
The practice has around 1,000 patients.
Videographers Jago Miller and Russell Howard spent the last couple of weeks enlisting the support of villagers to highlight the benefits of living in Coniston.
“It’s been a real community effort,” Tracy Coward, chair of Coniston Parish Council, told Cumbria Crack.
“We just wanted to get the word out that there is a fantastic opportunity to come to Coniston and work as a GP. We’re a friendly community and everyone pulled together to make the film.”
Within 24 hours, 38,000 people had watched the film which has been shared on Facebook.
A previous similar appeal to find a new headteacher worked and film-makers hope applicants will be tempted to apply.
“I think you have to make your own luck and we’re hopeful the film will make a difference,” Tracy said.
Westmorland & Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has written to the Health Secretary Wes Streeting, asking him to personally intervene and also written to the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, urging the body to actively seek to replace the GPs.
The board, which organises healthcare services for the region, must now consider the future delivery of primary medical services for those registered with the practice.
Peter Tinson, director of primary and community commissioning at the board, said: “There are several options for us to consider and these include attempting to find a new provider to run the current practice or asking patients to register with another local practice.
“The current Coniston Village Surgery building is not owned by the NHS and while it has housed GP services in the area for a number of years, it does not meet the requirements we would prefer to use for modern healthcare settings.
“The views of the patients are paramount in helping us make this decision.”
A survey is available on the board’s website and people can comment until March 14.
