A doctors' surgery which looks after 2,500 patients could be permanently closed.

Unity Healthcare has outlined plans to close Steeple Bumpstead Surgery, as the main building has not been used since before the Covid pandemic.

In-person patient consultations have since taken place at Clements Surgery in Haverhill, nearly four miles from the village.

Unity Healthcare has launched an engagement exercise on the long-term future of the Steeple Bumpstead surgery and is seeking views from patients regarding the impact of the potential closure.

The consultation will run until October 11, with two online presentations planned for September 6 and 9.

Unity Healthcare has said all feedback received throughout the engagement exercise will be considered before a final decision is made on the surgery's closure.

Dr David Brandon, clinical lead at Steeple Bumpstead Surgery, said: "Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Steeple Bumpstead Surgery building has not been utilised since early 2020.

"Patients are being supported remotely with consultations at Clements Surgery in Haverhill if they need to be seen face to face, where social distancing and infection control measures are in place to ensure they can be seen safely.

"This has been working very well for almost 18 months now.

"The Steeple Bumpstead building is small and limited in the provision it can offer, and it is felt that patients originally registered at the surgery now have access to better quality healthcare at the main Clements Surgery site, approximately four miles away.

"With this is mind, we would like to gather the views of our patients and local community about our proposal to permanently close the Steeple Bumpstead branch surgery and to continue providing a full range of quality healthcare for all patients from the Clements site."