FEARS have been raised over healthcare in Bicester after plans were approved to turn a former GP surgery into offices.

Approval was granted last week to change the North Bicester Surgery building in Bure Park into offices for Principal Medical Limited (PML).

The building has sat empty since the surgery closed 18 months ago due to financial problems.

The not-for-profit healthcare group which has taken it over said 80 per cent of the building will be used for office space – with only 20 per cent available for GPs.

Concerns have since been raised over the loss of surgery space, despite Bicester holding NHS 'healthy town' status.

The minister of Emmanuel Church, which is next door to the surgery, Rev Ian Biscoe, said: “I am strongly opposed to this proposal.

"The surgery had more than 4,000 patients, many of whom we continue to support on a regular basis through the Emmanuel Church.

"The removal of this facility has had a very negative impact upon the Bure Park community and I often have local residents comment about this to me.

"To change the use of this building would imply that the health and wellbeing of the residents of Bure Park and beyond is of little importance.

"As Bicester is now designated a ‘healthy town’, to remove the provision of a health care facility makes no sense at all."

PML is a GP-owned not-for-profit company which provides primary care service across Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire.

It said the building in Barberry Place would be its headquarters, with 80 per cent of the building used for office space.

This space would be a base for clinical teams from the local community such as GPs, physiotherapists and administration support.

The remaining 20 per cent is said to 'be reserved for potential future use as a space for GPs and other community health professionals to see patients'.

It will be used when additional capacity is required for current facilities across the county.

Bicester town councillor for the area Lynn Pratt, who also worked at the surgery for about 14 years, said: "I am sure some residents will have been negatively impacted by the closure, particularly the elderly who maybe don't have the transport to get to those surgeries further away.

"I was very sorry to see the surgery close but I am pleased the building will be back in some sort of use, as its a shame how it is now."

In its plans, PML said allowing a change in planning conditions for the building to become office space would ensure the building does not remain vacant in the long-term.

It added: "The building has been marketed for more than 12 months with little interest due to the very restrictive nature of condition 11 [surgery use only] and the fact that there is no longer a requirement for a building of this type for use as a GP surgery in the area."

Julie-Anne Howe, of Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The view of the GPs was that whilst it was with great regret that North Bicester Surgery had closed, to have Principal Medical in the now vacant building would indirectly benefit the local community.”

Bicester Delivery team also agreed it would be a positive move to maintain the link to health service delivery, adding 'it would help maintain the vitality of the Bure Park local centre, rather than the building remaining vacant."