Tim Farron launches petition calling for Coniston to keep a GP surgery

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron has started a petition calling for local health bosses to find a new GP provider for Coniston.

It comes as the village GPs have announced they will hand back their contract in July, after years of service to local patients.

Tim has written the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), asking for them to actively seek to replace the GPs.

Tim has also written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, asking him to personally intervene to make sure that Coniston doesn’t lose its GP surgery.

Writing to the Chair of the local ICB, Kevin Lavery, Tim said: “Advertising for a new GP service provider ought to begin immediately in order to give ourselves the best chance of securing the right applicants,  I will be delighted to help in a proactive search to seek applicants who can ensure the provision of a GP surgery in Coniston.

“Coniston's full time population is beginning to increase again, so it would be a tragedy if - after 170 years of continuous provision of a GP service in the village - Coniston was to lose their GP on our watch.  I am determined that this will not happen.”

The petition can be signed here.