A HEALTHCARE watchdog has said the 4,000 patients set to lose their surgery in Bicester should be re-registered as a matter of urgency.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire has called for a quick transfer as it revealed surgery waiting lists were the biggest concern for patients across the county.

It comes after Bicester North Surgery announced its closure next month, while two further surgeries in Bicester are set to merge.

Victoria House Surgery and Langford Medical Practice announced the merger as a way of coping with the expected influx of patients as Bicester grows over the coming years.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire spokesman Richard Maynard said: "Difficulty in gaining access to GP surgeries across Oxfordshire is one of the biggest concerns which people feed back to us, and it is therefore regrettable that the Bicester North Surgery is closing.

"NHS England must, as a matter of urgency, ensure the transfer of patients to other surgeries is carried out as quickly and smoothly as possible.

"We hope the new partnership formed following the merger of the Victoria House and Langford surgeries will be able to meet the increasing demands of a growing population, and we will be closely monitoring the situation and gathering feedback from patients in Bicester."

The North Bicester Surgery in Barberry Place has confirmed it will close to patients on September 30, before which all patients are to re-register elsewhere in town.

It said the closure was down to national GP contract changes making it financially unviable to stay open, alongside two of its three GPs retiring.

Bure park resident Cathryn Armer, who has been with the surgery since 2008, said: "It was a shame patients had to find out via social media before receiving official letters from the surgery.

"Anna Watkinson has been a superb GP and a real support to my family but it is very difficult to get an appointment to see her.

"I think the surgery will be much missed by locals; especially the elderly, those with very young children and less mobile members of the community.

"Bicester is a rapidly growing town and I just can't see how the other surgeries can cope with all the additional patients from North Bicester Surgery.

"People regularly comment on local social media groups that there is a long wait for routine appointments already. There was no information in the letter I received about what will happen to the building."

The surgery has said the remaining four surgeries in Bicester are ready to take on more patients.

Dr Andrew Gibson, senior partner at North Bicester Surgery, said: "The decision to close the practice has not been taken lightly and we would like to thank our patients for the loyalty they have shown us.

"We are working with Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS England to help support our patients during this period of change."

Following the closure, the merger between Victoria House Surgery in Buckingham Road and Langford Medical Practice in Nightingale Place was announced for October.

Two new GPs are joining the Langford practice, while the surgeries will join under the name of Alchester Medical Group with a view to consider amalgamating under one roof in a larger building in the future.