A HAMPSHIRE GP practice, threatened with closure last year, has been taken under the wing of a new provider.

The future of Solent Surgery had been in doubt after health bosses declared the Hythe facility was no longer viable and that it should be closed.

Angry patients fought to save it from the brink and now another practice in the town – Waterfront Garden Surgery – has stepped in to act as its new provider. It means Solent Surgery will effectively become a branch of Waterfront Garden but will retain its existing services.

Helen Clanchy, director of primary care, HNS Hampshire, said: “We have been dedicated to ensuring we secure an appropriate and stable future for Solent Surgery and its patients.

“We are thrilled that this has been achieved with a local provider who can offer personalised care from the existing site.”