The future of a closure-threatened Norfolk GP surgery remains uncertain.
A crunch decision to close Blakeney Surgery has been postponed until later this year.
Holt Medical Practice, which runs Blakeney Surgery, has submitted an application to close the surgery after controversially withdrawing its dispensary and face-to-face services before the pandemic.
The decision to close the Blakeney surgery could leave hundreds of elderly people cut off from healthcare services.
Holt Medical Practice has said plans to close the surgery come as keeping it open would be too expensive.
This, according to the practice, is due to the surgery being too small, which would cost more than £100,000 to bring up to modern standards.
It also said the centre does not have enough doctors and nurses.
Health bosses at the NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) met on Tuesday (February 13), deferring the decision.
It will be discussed again following further public consultation at a committee meeting in April.
More than 40pc of people living in Blakeney are over 65, and concerns have been raised as to how elderly residents will be able to access healthcare services if their nearest surgeries are in Kelling and Melton Constable.
READ MORE: New dentist to open in Norfolk town next week - offering NHS places
North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker said "it will be a hammer blow to see services removed".
“The ICB know this is the wrong decision," he said.
"The suggested half-hearted mitigation steps are equally a slap in the face, and I will be calling for far more effort for them to step up and ensure my constituents are looked after properly.”
READ MORE: Action plan to improve safety of 'Norfolk's most dangerous roundabout' to be drawn up
Dr Victoria Holliday, vice-chairman of North Norfolk District Council who represents the Coastal ward, said: “Face-to-face doctor and nurse appointments were removed from Blakeney before Covid.
"The community had a right to be consulted then. Why didn't this happen? The ICB should go back to the drawing board.
"We want a full consultation on the withdrawal of clinical services from Blakeney Surgery.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here