A long-serving GP at a Milton Regis surgery slammed for its failing standards is to retire.

Dr Bijan Saha will leave the Lakeside Medical Centre later this month after a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report found patients faced "unacceptable risk".

NHS England (Kent and Medway) said the doctor had taken on four GPs from Swale as partners at the centre in Todd Crescent.

A spokesman said Dr Saha will retire after the partnership comes into effect on Sunday, June 29.

Patients have been informed of the impending changes and the new GPs are already said to be installed at the practice.

The spokesman said: "We are now reviewing the full findings of the CQC report and are taking further action to ensure that all patients registered at the Lakeside Medical Centre receive the good standard of care they deserve."

The CQC report followed an unannounced inspection in March.

The surgery, run solely by Dr Saha who is thought to be in his 70s, did not meet any of the 11 standards checked.

"We will not accept the provision of care which falls short of these standards and we will continue to work with the CQC to ensure that local services are providing the appropriate care to patients..." - NHS spokesman

Among a list of failings, it was recorded that the practice was found to be "dirty and cluttered", its medical records inaccurate with staff not properly trained.

The NHS spokesman said health authorities would be keeping a close eye on the new-look surgery.

He said "We will not accept the provision of care which falls short of these standards and we will continue to work with the CQC to ensure that local services are providing the appropriate care to patients."

Long-standing patients of Dr Saha said he has run the surgery for "decades".

Despite a litany of complaints flagged-up in the CQC report, one of his current intake, Maureen Elvey, 74, from Todd Crescent, was full of praise for the retiring GP.

She said: "I can't fault them at the surgery. "I lost my husband at Christmas and Dr Saha was ever so good.

"They're all nice and have always been good and very helpful to me."

Speaking of the changes, Cllr Mike Whiting, Conservative member for Kemsley ward, said: "This is encouraging news and I expect that it will be a relief to many who use the surgery that it will remain open."

Dr Saha declined to comment.