A Frome doctors' surgery will not be allowed to expand its practice over concerns it could affect the quality of the care it provides.

The Beckington Family Practice currently operates over two different sites – its main surgery in Beckington and the Fromefield Surgery on Enos Way in Frome.

The practice applied to extend its practice to the village of Freshford, with a new branch surgery being set up within the community's revamped village hall.

But the Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has vetoed the proposal – meaning more than 1,100 patients will still have to drive to Frome or towards Bath to see their GP.

The CCG's commissioning committee discussed the proposal at Monks Yard near Ilminster on Tuesday morning (March 10).

Michael Baimbridge, the CCG's head of primary care development, said: "If we agreed to this application, they will be operating across three sites, which is quite unusual.

"They may have to subsidise the Freshford branch surgery from the main GP site, which would affect their ability to provide services there."

A total of 1,138 patients within the Freshford area are currently registered with the Beckington Family Practice is either of its sites – both of which, the CCG claims, have sufficient capacity for the next few years.

Adam Hann, the CCG's primary care contract manager, said none of Freshford's residents lived more than 15 minutes' travel time from a GP surgery which was accepting new patients.

He added in his written report: "It is a strategic aim of the CCG to bring care closer to home, but this needs to be balanced against sustainability and the delivery of high-quality care.

"It is important that community assets can be accessed across the primary care network. Given the location and size of Freshford, it may not be the ideal location to deliver the new model of care."

The committee voted unanimously to reject the new branch surgery.