Louise Patten, chief executive of Oxfordshire CCG, said: “On Tuesday I met with a group of patients previously registered with Deer Park Medical Centre, to hear their story and ongoing questions.  It was a constructive meeting; we discussed the facts around how GP practices are independent businesses contracting with the NHS and how as a CCG we can only persuade and influence factors such as use of buildings and how they manage demand for services.

“We discussed the future housing growth in the area and in the wider context of West Oxfordshire and the county. We all agreed that CCGs could be significantly supported by town and district councils in the planning of future health facilities and that we need a transparent and consistent process about how and when local growth would trigger a decision that a new GP practice is needed.

“We agreed that a piece of work would now be done, together, to set out the process that would be used across the county. This will be based on an understanding of the population growth, local health needs and infrastructure needed.”