Patients who use the Cardinal Medical Practice in north west Ipswich have been left disappointed by the NHS decision to cancel a surgery for the area, a local watchdog has said.

And those from the Claydon and Blakenham feel particularly let down because they were promised a smart new surgery when their own practice was closed down two years ago.

Christine Shaw is chair of the Cardinal Medical Practice Patient Participation Group which represents the views of service users to the practice and the Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB).

She said patients had been aware that there were problems with funding the proposed new £8m "super-surgery" on the former Tooks site at the junction of Bury Road and Old Norwich Road in Ipswich.

The new surgery had been due to open next year.The new surgery had been due to open next year. (Image: Paul Geater)

But she said: "Patients do feel very disappointed and actually quite angry at this and those from the villages outside the town particularly so because they feel a promise made to them (of a new surgery) was broken."

The Cardinal Medical Practice was set up three years ago with the merger of three separate practices and the promise of the new surgery which had been planned since 2017.

As well as patients from Claydon and Blakenham, it is also the local practice for new developments including Henley Rise and the new homes planned just outside the borough boundary in Old Norwich Road.

Ms Shaw said patients were also concerned about the recruitment and retention of staff: "Over the last year or so we have seen doctors, nurses, and other staff joining the practice.

"In many cases that is because they were looking forward to being at the heart of something new - at creating the new surgery and using modern facilities to help people.

"Now this has happened it won't be as easy to attract new staff - and some may be looking around for more modern facilities."

Some patients had wondered if the new surgery needed to have been as large as had been planned - but with thousands of new homes planned for the area the demand for healthcare seems set to rise significantly.

Ms Shaw is a Labour borough councillor for Whitton ward - but her role with the PPG is non-political.

She is due to have meeting with Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Conservative MP Patrick Spencer to try to come up with a bi-partisan approach to try to improve healthcare facilities in the area.

The ICB did not want to add to its comment last week when it said: “Despite this setback we remain determined to work in partnership to find an alternative, affordable solution that will deliver improved primary care facilities for the patients and practice team in north west Ipswich.”