A doctor’s surgery, which closed after it was criticised by a health watchdog, is finally expected to reopen in a matter of weeks.

People registered with Lakeside Medical Centre currently have to attend clinics at Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital, which is three miles away.

The arrangement has been in place for the past 10 months after the surgery’s sole GP, Dr Bijan Saha, announced his retirement on June 27.

His departure came after the practice was criticised in a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report as being an “unacceptable risk” to its 2,628 patients.

It had also failed to meet any of the 11 standards checked.

NHS England (Kent and Medway) said Dr Saha had taken on four GPs from Swale as partners at the centre in Todd Crescent and that it would “stay open” during the transfer.

However, when patients arrived on June 30 it was closed.

Cllr Mike Whiting announced at a council meeting in October it would be up and running in time for Christmas.

When it didn’t happen MP Gordon Henderson said it would be February, but its doors remain closed.

Now Minster Medical Group, which is taking over the running of the site in Todd Crescent, Kemsley, has announced it will open in the last week of May or the beginning of June.

Executive manager Helen Gaylor said: “We will be writing to patients in the next couple of weeks to let them know what’s going on as we’ve got to close one building down and open the other the next day, pretty much. We don’t want to raise anyone’s expectations and let them down.

“The staff are looking forward to going back to a permanent base and we are excited about it.

“When we get up and running we will have an event where the patients can come and meet the staff and we will engage with them about what they want.

“There will be a full-time lead GP and nursing service, everything they should have.”