Wootton will lose its doctor’s surgery later this year as it is announced Wootton Bridge Medical Centre is to permanently move to a new site in Newport and will be run by Solent NHS Trust. Patients of the Medina Healthcare surgery have been informed today (Wednesday) that they will soon have to travel to Newport to see a doctor and that a new management team will be brought in. It was in 2022 that Island Echo reported the existing surgery at Brannon Way would be demolished and rebuilt as a result of structural issues being identified. As a temporary measure, the surgery was to move to the former Natwest Bank on Riverway in Newport by mid-2023, before moving back to Wootton 3 years later. However, it has now been confirmed that the move will be a permanent one with patients set to be seen in the new Newport surgery from the Autumn. No exact date has yet been set. It’s thought around 9,000 people will be affected by today’s news. But for those who were moved from the West Street surgery in Newport to Wootton at the start of the COVID pandemic, a relocation to Newport may not be seen as a bad thing. The same can’t be said for those living in the Wootton area, many of whom are elderly. 
As well as a new location, the practice will be taken over by Solent NHS Trust. Reassurances have been given that staff can continue to work and provide clinical care under the new management and that existing GPs will remain, but as salaried staff instead of partners. It’s said that this management change will help to ensure the future of the practice and to provide continuity of care. Furthermore, Solent NHS Trust will soon be combining with part of Isle of Wight NHS Trust and Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, meaning that Medina Healthcare will then be working under a single Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, that delivers Community, Mental Health and Learning Disability services throughout the Island. A spokesperson for Medina Healthcare has said:
“We are excited about the opportunity that this new site offers us for your care. Our staff will be able to work together from one building, in a space that provides more clinical rooms and dedicated parking and mobility access. “We will be offering several ways for you to engage with us over the coming months to understand what impact this move will have and we will share further information about this in due course. During this time, your care will remain the same, with the practice not relocating until autumn 2024. “These changes present an exciting future for the Practice and we firmly believe that this is the best next step. We value your understanding as we navigate these changes together and appreciate your feedback on how this will impact you. “We will endeavour to ensure minimal disruption to your healthcare whilst plans for the new site are developed”.
The landlords of the existing surgery in Wootton, Assura, are said to have no current plans for the building.
