The town's MP has asked to meet with the organisation responsible for GP services in Basingstoke after a surgery in Popley was forced to close earlier this week.

Maria Miller has issued a statement thanking staff, doctors and nurses at the Shakespeare Road Medical Practice and Brambly's Grange, who have recently taken over the surgery, "for all their working in bringing the two practices together".

She has requested a meeting with health bosses at the clinical commissioning group to discuss how procedures for merging surgeries "can be changed to make the process easier for all concerned in the future".

Patients were turned away on Wednesday morning and left unaware of how to access help after "some significant pressures building up in recent weeks" forced them to close the surgery without warning.

Now, Mrs Miller has said that the merger between the two practices has been "challenging".

She added: "The local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) have been in touch with me throughout and provided clear reassurance that patients were, at all times, able to access the primary healthcare support that they needed through the NHS telephone service 111."

However, patients reported not being told about the closure, and that 111 was unaware patients would require support until several hours later.

The communication from the CCG and surgery surrounding the closure has also been criticised by Popley councillor David Potter, who labelled in "outrageous".

Mrs Miller continued: "“The CCG and Brambly’s Grange have confirmed that the Bermuda and Marlow[e] Surgery is now reopening for emergency appointments and will be back up and running as normal from Monday.

“I want to thank the staff, doctors and nurses in the Bermuda and Marlow[e] GP Surgery and Brambly’s Grange for all of their work in bringing the two practices together.

"For patients this will mean access to even better primary health services in the future. It is good to see Brambly’s Grange, a well-established and respected GP Practice, moving in to support residents in Popley too.

“I have asked the CCG to meet with me to establish how the NHS procedures for merging two surgeries can be changed to make the process easier for all concerned in the future.”

Yesterday, Cllr Potter told The Gazette yesterday that the CCG should "live up to its responsibilities".

He told The Gazette: "How outrageous is it for people who are so worried about their medication and long term illnesses to suddenly be told that no GP provision exists and no guarantee about the future.

"All that added worry to the problems they have on a day to day basis.

"This can't continue. The CCG has got to live up to its responsibilities."

Additionally, patients expressed their worry, with several commenting on social media that they had no idea about the closure.

One such patient was Robyn Hill, who was expecting to be seen to have stitches removed following a recent operation.

She told The Gazette: "I didn't even get told. They have a text system so they could have send a text out.

"I think everyone would have been fine with that.

"I feel so stressed. It has taken me an hour to get through to my specialist's secretary and I have had to speak to them about what I should do for my care."

Her husband, Mark, a type-one diabetic, was also left distressed following the news with no confirmation from the surgery or CCG about when they would reopen or what he should do.

"I don't have anyone to ask or speak to. I am nervous and panicking at the moment," the 35-year-old told this newspaper.

The absence of information also led to various rumours circulating on community social media groups.

The practice has reopened for emergency appointments and will resume routine appointments next week.