NEW providers will take over a troubled GP surgery despite not having premises to move into when the building’s lease expires.

Virgin Care will run St Lawrence Medical Practice in Bocking End, Braintree, when medical company Provide’s contract expires on June 1.

The NHS lease on the building expires on the same day.

But despite announcing in November that the practice will move to The College at Braintree, work to adapt a building on the site is yet to start.

Carolyn Larsen, head of commissioning for NHS England (East), said: “We are continuing to work with The College at Braintree for the relocation of St Lawrence Surgery to this site. “Plans for the works are currently being finalised and a start date is to be agreed shortly.

“We have the option to extend our existing lease in our current location should this be necessary in the short term.

“Virgin Care Limited has been appointed as the new long term provider to run the St Lawrence Surgery subject to the agreement of terms and conditions with NHS England.”

A spokesman for the college said he could provide no update on the situation.

John Niland, Provide's chief executive said patients should experience no disruption.

He said: "Provide took over the running of the St Lawrence Medical Practice on June 1, 2015, on an interim contract for a year, and I am proud of how hard our team worked to try to improve the service for patients.

"We did apply to run the service on a permanent basis but unfortunately our bid was unsuccessful and Virgin Care Ltd will be managing the practice from June 1, 2016.

"I would like to assure all the patients and staff at St Lawrence Medical Practice that we will be working closely with Virgin Care to ensure that the handover is as smooth as possible."

St Lawrence will be the 20th GP practice run by Virgin Care, which runs 30 primary care services across England including out of hours services, walk-in centres, urgent care centres and minor injury units.