Members of a health scrutiny group will meet next week to hear about the progress that has been made in securing the future of a New Costessey surgery.

The Taverham Partnership, which runs Beechcroft Surgery, launched a 90-day consultation on the possible closure of the Beechcroft premises in January this year.

This came after one of the GPs left the practice in December 2011, with another due to leave in May.

National guidelines recommend that GPs should each look after 1,800 patients but the doctors at the Taverham Partnership are each looking after 2,300 patients currently, and they have not been able to recruit new partners to the practice so far.

NHS Norfolk and Waveney, which is responsible for ensuring healthcare is available across the area, has announced that it will be launching a formal procurement process to secure a new provider of GP services. Representatives from the partnership and NHS Norfolk and Waveney have been invited to attend a meeting of the Norfolk Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, April 12, to inform members about the consultation and the work being carried out to secure the future of the surgery.

The committee is made up of district and county councillors and is charged with safeguarding and promoting the interests of people in the county who use health services. The meeting, which will be held in public, will take place at 10am at County Hall in Martineau Lane, Norwich.