THE future of Garelochhead Medical Centre is due to be outlined at a public meeting in the village on Thursday night.

Helensburgh Medical Centre is due to take over the running of the Garelochhead next month.

People living in Garelochhead will be given full information on the plans at a public meeting in the Gibson Hall at 7pm on July 12.

The change is due to take effect from Wednesday, August 1, with Argyll and Bute health and social care partnership (HSCP) giving a positive outlook on the plans.

Garelochhead has not had a regular full-time GP since the retiral of Dr James McKelvie in June 2016.

A spokesman for the HSCP said: “The awarding of this contract is good news for the local community in Garelochhead and will ensure that a wide range of enhanced primary care services will continue to be delivered locally from Garelochhead Medical Practice.

“It will also result in continuity of care for patients as they will be seen and treated by permanent GPs rather than locums which is currently the case.”

Interviews for Dr McKelvie’s successor were held four months after his retiral in 2016, but no appointment was made.

The lack of a permanent GP in the village, and the future of the medical centre, has been discussed repeatedly by members of Garelochhead Community Council – but until recently no long-term solution had been identified.

The HSCP, which is run by Argyll and Bute Council and NHS Highland, has overseen the Garelochhead practice since Dr McKelvie’s retiral.

But responsibility for running the service will pass to Helensburgh Medical Centre next month.

Dr Brian McLachlan, of the Helensburgh practice, said that he was confident that his facility could meet the new challenge.

He said: “The Garelochhead community hasn’t had any stability in relation to medical cover in the last few years since Dr McKelvie’s retiral.

“There has been difficulty providing cover and there have been gaps in the service, and at the moment there is a shortage of GPs at national level.

“We are in communication with the HSCP and are involved with them.

“The responsibility for providing healthcare in Garelochhead lay with Dr McKelvie and Partners, then it went to the health board, and from Wednesday, August 1 it will become the responsibility of our practice.

“I am confident we can provide a good service.”

Tonight’s meeting starts at 7pm.