The area's health watchdog is demanding the Government makes up its mind on whether authorities can set up a new surgery in the town.

Peter Roach, vice chairman of South West Herts Community Health Council (CHC), said frustrated former patients of the Theobald Centre needed to know whether they were facing months more delay.

"First we are told it will be six weeks, then 12 weeks, and so it goes on," he said.

At a meeting on Wednesday last week, CHC members agreed to write to Health Secretary Frank Dobson.

They urged him to rule on an appeal against West Hertfordshire Health Authority's (WHHA) choice of doctors for the new surgery.

Authorities asked for permission to set up a new practice after two doctors quit the troubled Theobald Centre surgery in December.

Patients there had complained of waiting up to a month for an appointment and of queueing in the street for treatment.

In January, WHHA bosses were optimistic after holding interviews and appointing "two well-qualified GPs". And patients were given the chance to go on a temporary list at Grove Road surgery until the new surgery was open.

But more than 1,000 long-suffering patients received a blow when doctors who failed to win the contract said they would appeal.

And the decision which the CHC said could take between five weeks and six months has so far been in the Government's hands for three months.

If the appeal is thrown out a new surgery can be set up quickly, and Mr Roach said "strong rumours" had circulated that a decision was due on May 8.

But after speaking to Department of Health officials, a WHHA spokeswoman told the Borehamwood Times no announcement was imminent.

Mr Roach said if the appeal is allowed, patients face months more delay as the case is examined by an appeal panel. "This is dragging on and on. And in the past few weeks the CHC has received a number of complaints about the Theobald Centre," he said.

Mr Roach said some patients had decided to return to the Theobald Centre and some were still at Grove Road.

He said the surgery was coping "fairly well" with extra patients, but doctors were keen to see matters resolved soon, as conditions were already cramped.

Doctors at Grove Road are looking for new premises themselves, he added.

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