PATIENTS in Holmer Green may have to travel to other villages to see a GP when their practice closes.

Dr Catherine Young, who single-handedly runs her own surgery, Carrington House, in Wycombe Road, will retire in June after 14 years in the village.

Her retirement will see the closure of the surgery after bids to find a doctor to continue running the practice failed.

The closure will mean patients could find themselves travelling as far afield as High Wycombe because of a shortage of spaces in nearby surgeries.

Dr Edward Bray, of a neighbouring surgery in Browns Road, Holmer Green, told the Wycombe Area Primary Care Group Meeting on April 24, that he will take on extra patients but cannot take on too many after a bid for a new partner was unsuccessful.

Buckinghamshire Health Authority is in the process of informing patients about the closure and offering information about alternative doctors.

Steve Benjamin, the authority's primary care manager, said: "We don't want to allocate patients to a particular surgery as they have their own choice but it is our function to ensure they have a GP and we will advise patients if they need help."

Jan DeLuca, practice manager at Dr Young's surgery, said: "It seems that most people have their own personal choice about where to be treated and so far I believe patients are not having too many problems."

She added: "It is a sad time for many of our patients as we took pride in our friendly, personal service and have build up quite special relationships over the past 14 years."