A MEETING will be held in the new year to keep residents up to date as their GP surgeries reach crisis point.

Surgeries in Frinton and Walton are struggling with a crippling lack of full-time doctors on staff.

From the end of January there will only be one permanent doctor working at Frinton’s Caradoc surgery, which caters for 8,000 residents.

Bosses have found recruitment tough and are relying on expensive locums to make up the shortfall.

Frinton and Walton town councillors are working hard to try to help the surgeries and will organise a public meeting early in the new year to reassure and inform residents.

Mayor Iris Johnson said: “The council has been working very hard, and has been instrumental in discussions with practice managers to find a solution.

“We also met with NHS Essex, but I was not impressed with the outcome there.

“It is difficult for them but they were not as supportive as I feel they should have been.

“They are talking about it getting to crisis point. Well we know we are already at crisis point and we need to keep pushing for our area.

“We will not rest on our laurels and let this happen and we will update our residents as soon as we are able to.”