COUNCILLORS have accused NHS Harrow of failing to act quickly enough to prevent or prepare for the closure of The Village Surgery in Pinner.

During a lively health committee meeting on Wednesday at the Civic Centre, Councillor Lurline Champagnie (Conservative, Pinner) said the suspension of one of the surgery's three partners should have given the primary care trust (PCT) a clear warning of the trouble to come.

"There was a suspension of a GP for some time and it was up to the trust to know that patients were being cared for," Ms Champagnie said.

"After the GP returned to work, the breakdown happened. In that time, were the patients adequately cared for? There needs to be a report to the committee."

After the suspended partner returned in February, two others resigned. This led to the practice being closed a month later because of concerns for the health and safety of patients, the meeting heard.

Councillor Paul Osborn (Conservative, Pinner) was also very critical, describing the closure as a merger with Pinn Medical Centre that would conveniently save NHS Harrow money.

"If this [in February] genuinely was the first sign of trouble, I would worry about other GP practices in Harrow and the way they are monitored," said Mr Osborn.

"We have a duty to investigate this problem. A brand new surgery opens just metres away, The Village Surgery closes and all of a sudden they are merged."

Officials from the PCT answered councillors' questions, but were unable to give a clear indication of how and when the healthcare situation in Pinner would be resolved.

But centre partner Jonathan Rudolph defended the ability of his practice to cope with the huge influx of extra patients since April.

"The new Pinn Medical Centre was built with the idea of serving 23,000 patients. It is twice the size of the old site and The Village Surgery combined," Dr Rudolph said.

"We have employed all the staff from The Village Surgery and, in terms of giving patients access to care, we feel we can give them the same level."

Mr Osborn questioned where the remaining 4,000 patients from The Village Surgery were being served. Mr Rudolph said Pinn Medical Centre held most of those patient records since they had been transferred by NHS Harrow, although not all had registered.

The interim chief executive at NHS Harrow, Mark Easton, said: "This change was not driven by financial reasons but if in consequence there are cost savings, that is fortuitous, and if we can provide the same level of care, that is a good result.

"But the arrangements we have are temporary and until the engagement process is complete we cannot say what will happen."

It was agreed that a further meeting between the health sub-committee and NHS Harrow officials would take place, at which financial and other documents would be available for councillors to scrutinise.