Drastic action will be required after reports that the final GP at West Klbride surgery has resigned from the ailing service.

Last month we reported that the NHS was facing up to an ever growing crisis with just one of the four GPs required for the village in post. The last GP is leaving next week.

Eddie Fraser, Director of East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership said: "NHS Ayrshire & Arran and our partners in the Health and Social Care Partnerships are committed to ensuring that people have high quality access to local health services.

"West Kilbride surgery has been experiencing recruitment difficulties for doctors following the resignations of GPs. To ensure that patients continue to receive services, NHS Ayrshire & Arran will take over the management of the surgery from 9 August.

"We would like to assure patients that we will continue to provide general medical services from the practice and patients should access the surgery as normal."

The NHS have confirmed to the 'News' that patients will not have to go to nearby surgeries, despite concerns raised about this on social media by local users.

A spokeswoman said: "We want to assure patients that we will continue to provide general medical services from West Kilbride."