The future of a Chorley GP surgery is set to be decided in the coming days after months of “agonising uncertainty” and campaigning.

The NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) is set to discuss the future of Withnell Health Centre and who will be awarded the contract to provide general medical services at the practice.

This is after Withnell Health Centre Campaign Group spent months campaigning for Dr Ann Robinson, who has run Withnell Health Centre for the past 11 years, to keep control of her practice.

Professor Craig Harris, chief operating officer for the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB), said a bidder has been put forward for the contract.

If the recommendation is agreed upon at a meeting on Thursday, July 11, work will begin to sign a new contract. The decision will be announced on Friday, July 12.

The new contract will be in effect from October.

Mr Harris said: “I want to provide an update ahead of our primary care commissioning committee meeting set up to discuss the procurement exercise at Withnell Health Centre.

“Following a robust process the procurement evaluation panel has made a recommendation as to the bidder that should be awarded the contract to provide general medical services at the practice.

"The panel comprised individuals employed by NHS Greater Manchester ICB, NHS Shared Business Services and three patients of Withnell Health Centre.

“If the recommendation is agreed at the committee on Thursday, July 11, work will begin to sign the final contract and, subject to any challenges during what is known as a standstill period, the new contract will be in effect from October 1.”

The meeting will be held in private and members of the public will not be allowed to attend.

Mr Harris said: “Following the receipt of legal advice, the decision has been taken to hold this discussion as a part two meeting, meaning the public will not be able to attend.

“This will allow the ICB to notify the successful bidder before making their identity public.

"A statement will then be published on the ICB website on Friday, July 12, to announce the decision.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the procurement evaluation process, especially the patients who took part in the evaluation panel, the members of the Withnell patient steering group and the more than 2,000 people who contributed their views as part of the process, ensuring public and patient voice was heard at every stage of the process.”

Louise France is the lead campaigner for the Withnell Health Centre Campaign Group, which has been campaigning for Dr Robinson to continue running Withnell Health Centre.

Dr Robinson initially lost out to a conglomerate that runs more than 40 GP practices across the north west, but after uproar from locals – and an admission from NHS bosses that the process had been deficient for not properly consulting patients – she was handed a reprieve while the health service went back to the drawing board.

While she hoped to be awarded the contract without new competition, the ICB later said procurement rules meant it would have to launch a fresh bidding process.

Louise said it is a “huge relief”  the announcement is set to be made in the coming days.

She said: “After months of agonising uncertainty, Dr Robinson and her team at Withnell Health Centre will feel a huge sense of relief when the ICB finally announce who has won the contract for the health centre this week.

“I know first-hand from speaking with staff during my role as lead campaigner that this situation has had a truly detrimental effect on their mental health, something which they did not deserve."

In April, 5,500 patients registered at the practice recently raised £9,600 in order to pay for a professional bid writer to help Dr Robinson secure her contract.  

Louise said: “Raising such a large amount during the cost-of-living crisis shows just how much support Dr Robinson and her team have from everyone who lives here. 

“Regardless of the decision the ICB make, Dr Robinson and her team should be incredibly proud of how hard they have worked to save the health centre.

“They have made huge sacrifices… the patients' efforts should also be recognised, coming together as a community to protest against the ICB, writing thousands of letters and emails and raising thousands of pounds to support Dr  Robinson.

“If there is any justice in the world then the final outcome of all this will be the outcome that we are all hoping for.

"To quote one of the placards at our first protest – ‘Here’s to you Dr Robinson, Withnell loves you more than you will know’.”