GP Services in Evington Village; The Undemocratic Ending of an Era
The history of GP (general practitioner) services in Evington Village, Leicester reflects the broader evolution of British primary healthcare: from small local doctor’s premises serving a village community, to modern multi-site NHS practices. The village has had a continuous local GP presence for roughly 60 years, though the most recent branch surgery closed in 2024.
Before large group practices existed, village doctors typically worked from houses or small surgeries, providing home visits and basic medical care.
Evington was historically a separate village outside Leicester, and like many villages it had one or two local doctors serving the area. Local records from the late 19th century show doctors living in Evington, including a young Australian doctor residing at Evington House during the 1891 census, when the area was still rural.
These doctors would have provided general medical care before the creation of the NHS. After the creation of the NHS in 1948, GP services became formally organised but remained small community-based practices. In Evington a local GP surgery was established at 10 The Common, in Evington Village.
The surgery served the surrounding residential areas including Netherhall and parts of east Leicester. It operated as a branch surgery rather than a full primary care centre, mainly providing GP consultations and nursing support.
Residents recall that the building functioned as a local surgery for more than six decades, making it an important village institution. From the late 20th century onward, UK primary care increasingly consolidated into group practices operating multiple sites. In Evington the surgery at 10 The Common became a branch of St Elizabeth’s Medical Centre, based on Netherhall Road.
The branch continued to provide local access to GP and nurse appointments for village residents. The practice was run by a partnership including Dr J. A. Wood, who owned the surgery premises.
This model, one main practice with smaller satellite branches was common across the NHS. In the 2000s and 2010s, many branch surgeries across the UK came under pressure because of NHS preference for larger “primary care hubs”, building standards and accessibility requirements, staffing shortages and financial pressures.
As a result, many small local surgeries were gradually closed or consolidated. The long-standing surgery at 10 The Common closed in November 2024. The key reasons cited were that the landlord decided to sell the property, the GP partnership applied to close the branch and the closure was approved by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Residents protested the decision because the surgery had served the community for over 60 years, many elderly residents relied on walking access to the GP and the nearest replacement services are about 2–3 miles away.
Since the closure patients have been directed to the main St Elizabeth’s Medical Centre or other practices nearby, and the village no longer has a GP surgery, which residents say has reduced access to healthcare.
Despite campaigns and petitions calling for a new branch surgery to be reinstated and despite the majority of people who responded to consultation on the matter opposing closure, the surgery has been lost to the local community.
Sources:
1-https://evingtonecho.uk/meeting-to-discuss-closure-of-evington-gp-surgery-on-the-common/?utm
2- https://evingtonecho.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/ECHO-FEB-MAR26.pdf?utm
3- https://evingtonecho.uk/closure-of-evington-surgery-an-undemocratic-catastrophe/?utm
4- https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-544414890?utm
