A SENIOR Shropshire councillor has dismissed a health board's reason for permanently closing a GP surgery in St Martins as 'total lies'.

Councillor Steve Davenport hit out at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) and Chirk Surgery which runs the branch practice after it was confirmed on Thursday that it will close.

Cllr Davenport took offence to BCUHB's assertion that there have been no complaints regarding patients having to travel from St Martins and nearby villages to Chirk, despite public demonstrations against the closure.

And he even suggested that he would like to lead a potential buy-out of the surgery.

"I was told that it was closing because of a lack of customers, effectively," said Cllr Davenport.

"They're saying that there have not been any complaints; well that rubbish as there have been petitions and letters – I've seen them.

"I'm not disappointed because I am shocked – really shocked.

"They have so many patients on the English side of the border and it's taken them two years to get to this point.

"It's total lies that they have been saying about St Martins surgery but we have to move on.

"I want to do a community buy-out of the surgery if Chirk is willing to sell – for a nominal fee – and even if it's just for having someone there part-time taking bloods.

"It's very expensive for people from St Martins and the surrounding villages to go to Chirk – I've got a situation where a man called Terry Ellis, who is an ex-miner in his 80s is ferrying people there and back.

"That's not a good situation – it's shocking."

A spokesman for BCUHB said that it gave the surgery its backing to close the St Martins branch after the practice had fewer numbers using it.

“The Health Board’s Primary Care Panel has supported an application by Chirk Surgery to permanently close its branch in St Martin’s," said a BCUHB spokesman.

"This branch has been closed since early 2020 and based on concerns about the condition of the site and the low numbers that previously used it, a decision was made to continue delivering all services from the main surgery site in Chirk.

"Since the temporary closure has been in place, patients have been attending Chirk for all appointments and the practice has informed the Health Board that they have not received any complaints during this time.”