A Dyfi Valley health practice should be allowed to close its Cemmaes Road surgery to centralise services in Machynlleth, a Powys health board panel has recommended.

That recommendation will now go before a health board meeting in Machynlleth today (Wednesday).

Board members were asked to support the closure of the Glantwymyn surgery and allow services to be focused at Machynlleth’s Forge Road surgery, despite opposition and concerns that it will cause problems for patients living in rural areas.

Dyfi Valley Health had applied to the health board to close the surgery in Cemmaes Road, saying that problems in recruiting staff and trying to spread services across the two facilities could see services become unsustainable.

But while a consultation that attracted around 950 responses backed, by a majority, the health group’s proposal, there were concerns raised about how any change would affect patients who would normally attend in Cemmaes Road, especially in terms of transport issues and attending appointments and picking up prescriptions.

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