A GP surgery with more than 4,000 registered patients has announced that it is set to move two miles from its current site next year.

A letter sent to patients at the Upminster Bridge Surgery, in Upminster Road, Hornchurch, says it will be based at the new St George’s Health and Wellbeing hub on Suttons Lane from next May.

The new hub, backed by £17 million in government funding and £21 million from North East London partners, is currently under construction and is intended to bring together a range of health, social care and community services under one roof.

The letter, dated August 24, revealed that the lease on the surgery’s current premises will soon be coming to an end. Relocating to the new facility in 2024, it said, will allow them to expand and support more patients in the local area.

Doctors John and Kay O’Moore will continue seeing patients as normal after the intended move, it added.

While the new centre is said to be served well by public transport, some patients have expressed concerns over having to travel further to access their GP.

Read More: Billet Lane, Hornchurch surgery relocates after water leak

Rebecca Hussein, whose family has been registered with the surgery for more than two years, told the Recorder that it will be “extremely inconvenient” for them to get to the new location.

She said: “I will have to go from a 10-minute walk to having to get two buses as the new site is not on our bus routes”.

She added that she is already looking at other GP options and will have to lose access to their current doctors as a result of the move.

“It is a good surgery but we are going to have to find a new one now. It is going to put a lot of pressure on other GPs in the area and I hope we are able to find space”, Rebecca said.

She believes the surgery serves a lot of elderly patients who will be impacted worse by the relocation.

In a post shared by Rebecca on a community group on Facebook, another resident commented that the move is reportedly affecting three of her elderly neighbours. She said: “They already struggle to get to the end of the road so this will be a nightmare for them.”

Another complained that the new health centre should have supplemented the existing resources instead of incorporating them.

A public consultation was held by NHS on September 7 to discuss the move. A spokesperson for NHS North East London told the Recorder  that “extra space and modern facilities” at St George’s Health and Wellbeing hub will provide “much-needed extra capacity” for new patients who wish to register.

He revealed that engagement events have been organised to ensure all current patients are fully informed about the relocation and they receive help to register with another local GP if they choose to.

After the event held on September 7, another is scheduled for early October. He said that there are seven other GP practices within 0.9 miles of Upminster Bridge Surgery’s current site that are accepting patients.

He added that a list of these and details of how to register will be shared with all the surgery's patients.

He said: "Any patients with particular questions or concerns about the move have also been invited to raise these directly with the practice.

“Our priority is ensuring that all patients have ongoing access to safe, high quality GP services and any disruption caused by the move is kept to a minimum.”