A troubled surgery serving more than 5,000 patients has been left with none of its own doctors.

Iwade Health Centre’s lead GP Dr Neil Poplett has now gone, leaving the practice with five receptionists and two nurses.

The dire situation has left the area’s parish council concerned about how residents are now expected to be treated.

According to the venue’s website, the centre has five receptionists, a medical secretary, practice manager, advanced nurse practitioner, a practice nurse specialising in chronic diseases and a healthcare assistant.

NHS Choices lists the surgery as having two permanent GPs – Dr Poplett and Dr Mogga.

But Iwade Parish Council, which has flagged up its worries in a letter, says it understands Dr Mogga has also resigned, as have other nursing staff, and the surgery’s management for have been criticised for not telling patients about the situation.

The council has written to the chief executive of Integral Medical Holdings (IMH), which runs the practice, saying people feel anxious about the changes taking place.

Cllr James Hunt, vice chairman of Iwade Parish Council, said: “There’s no staff and the staff who are there are leaving.

“The main thing for patients is they’ve not been told anything. With all the housing being built, it needs to be running properly.”

The health centre, which has nearly 6,000 patients registered, was built in 2008 and is located at the edge of hundreds of new homes.

In 2010, a Medical Practitioners Tribunal service hearing found Dr Michal Laska had accessed explicit material and had an improper relationship with a patient.

Some of the images were accessed on his practice computer, but the pictures were being looked at between 2005-2010. He was suspended for 10 months.

When Dr Poplett joined in 2014, he pledged it would end a turbulent time, which came after residents complained of long waits for appointments, problems with the phone lines and a high number of locums.

A Swale CCG spokesman said: “As always, the CCG’s priority is patient care, and we have been assured by the group that run Iwade Medical Centre, that there is sufficient cover in place and that there are fully qualified doctors at the surgery able to see patients.

"At present these doctors are locums, however from April, permanent GPs, and an additional Advanced Nurse Practitioner among other staff, are expected to be working at the practice.

“Any patients that have already approached the CCG have been reassured and communicated with, along with local key stakeholders."

“If any patients are concerned about their care, they are invited to contact the CCG directly.”