THE future of a village GP surgery, which was poised to shut in the coming months, looks optimistic after securing a buyer.

Parklands surgery in Askam could remain open after an offer was conditionally accepted to take over the building.

Local GPs are now being invited to express their interest in running the 1500-person surgery practice.

Health officials unanimously recommended patients ‘dispersed’ onto other local practices in February after failing to find a suitable replacement for the village’s long-serving GP, Dr Prakashchandra Jain, who owns the practice.

Barrow MP Simon Fell said the community had ‘overcome one of the major barriers’.

He said: “We’ve been working extremely hard, together with the local community and local councillors.

“I’m delighted that the Local Medical Committee is now asking GPs to come forward to express their interest in running a branch practice at Askam.

“This gives the local community hope. We’ve overcome one of the major barriers.

“The next step is to find a GP and I’m optimistic that we can do that.”

Cllr Ben Shirley, Cumbria County and Barrow Borough Councillor for Dalton North, said the sale had given ‘tremendous hope’ to the community campaigning to save the surgery.

He said: “Working together with local Parish and my fellow Borough Councillors, the MP and I set up a working group with two focus’ – to secure a building for a GP to practice from, and to then find a GP.

“We’ve managed to achieve one of those aims and now, with the help of the Local Medical Committee and the Clinical Commissioning Group, we’re hoping that a local practice will come forward to run a branch practice in Askam. There’s still work to be done but we won’t give up and this gives us tremendous hope.”