STUDLEY Health Centre will be closing at the end of this year.

NHS South Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has confirmed that Studley Health Centre will close on December 31.

The Advertiser reported in August that the closure would be the "death knell" of the embattled village.

The closure is the latest blow for Studley which in the last six months has seen the Studley branch of HSBC in Alcester Road close followed by the closure of Lloyds Bank branch, the only bank that was left in the village.

The GPs working at the much loved centre, Dr Margaret Buckley, Dr Deepika Dandamudi, and Dr Lars Grimstvedt, all requested to terminate their contract and gave six months’ notice to the CCG.

Since the announcement community leaders and councillors met health bosses to ask if anything could be done to continue to provide services at the site and numerous meetings were been held to try to reassure residents.

However, nothing came from it.

Now patients are being told they will need to register with another GP practice.

The partners at Studley Health Centre, said: “The decision to terminate our contract to run the practice was a very difficult one.

"We had explored all other options available before taking this action.

"We would like to thank our patients for the loyalty that they have shown us and the good relationships we have built with them over the years.

“We will continue to help and support our patients during this period of change by working with South Warwickshire CCG and NHS England.”

Alison Walshe, from the CCG, said: “We are currently working closely with Studley Health Centre and other local practices to help support affected patients during this time. Our top priority is to ensure that patients continue to be able access high quality GP services.

“We understand that some patients may be worried about these changes, especially when they have been treated by a particular GP for a long time, but we are positive that they will continue to receive good treatment from other GP practices in Studley and the surrounding areas.”

There are GP practices in the local area, which are able to accept patients from Studley Health Centre.

The CCG will be sending a letter to all patients and this will include details of the practices.