PATIENTS at a GP surgery have successfully campaigned to reverse a decision to reduce its hours and services.

Residents who attend New Larchwood GP Practice in Waldron Avenue in Coldean expressed concerns after the surgery reduced its opening hours from every day to just two mornings a week, with complaints of people with mobility issues being forced to travel half an hour to an alternative surgery.

Rose Bunker, secretary of the Coldean Residents' Association, in Brighton, said patients only became aware of the changes to hours once they attended the surgery and found it closed.

She said: "The communication was very bad from the surgery - people didn't receive an email or any notification. Most people found out through social media."

She also said that people who were ill or frail found the extextrare journey to an alternative surgery, with some spending £15 for a taxi for a trip to have a blood test.

After being made aware of patients' outrage after a letter-writing campaign, Healthwatch Brighton and Hove conducted a patient survey, which confirmed the negative impact of the practice's changes.

The survey found that patients found it difficult travelling to an alternative surgery, with 81 per cent of patients wanting to see New Larchwood Surgery open longer than the current hours.

As a result, the practice has promised to recruit staff and has extended hours, with a nurses' clinic on Thursdays.

Rose said she was "delighted" by the decision and thanked Healthwatch for their support in helping residents to challenge the decision.

She said: "If we had just rolled over and accepted it, there was no way it would have changed.

"It was because people were outraged and because loads of people did letters and that kickstarted the process towards it being reconsidered."

Geoffrey Bowden, chairman of Healthwatch Brighton and Hove, said: "Healthwatch welcomes the way in which local doctors have listened to patients at New Larchwood Surgery and are making changes to improve future services."

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group and Carden and New Larchood Practice said: "Together, we look forward to continuing to engage with patient and community groups who were involved in the survey and report findings to listen to the feedback and work together to find solutions to help improve patient experience."

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