A plan for six Shropshire GP surgeries to relocate and move into a health and wellbeing hub has been paused by NHS England.

The proposed hub for Shrewsbury was to offer a range of services provided by the NHS, council and other groups.

The move had been opposed amid concerns that residents losing their surgeries would be disadvantaged if they could not access the new base.

NHS England said the pause was to focus on developing the plan’s business case.

The scheme was put forward by NHS Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care Board (ICB).

An ICB spokesperson said: “We are working to understand the implications of the pause notified to us by NHS England. At this point, it is too early to comment further.”

Critics of the project have included a group of retired GPs as well as residents.

The delay to the programme has been welcomed by a local councillor and health campaigner.

Liberal Democrat, Alex Wagner, said pausing the plan was “nothing short of fantastic news for local people”.

He added: “For those who would be unable to access health provision in the event of a hub, the news will also come as a huge sigh of relief.”

An NHS England spokesperson said it had “paused” to “focus on developing the programme business case ahead of a bid for capital funding for the programme at the upcoming spending review”.

The six surgeries due to move were Claremont Bank, Marysville, South Hermitage, Marden, The Beeches and Belvidere.

They range between 2.6 miles (4.2km) and 0.8 miles (1.3km) from the favoured hub site in Meole Brace.

Residents had raised concerns at a meeting, following public consultation, about access and transport to the new site, which was due to open in July 2025.

Labour councillor Kate Halliday, a member of Shropshire Council’s health and adult social care overview and scrutiny committee, said any move from the ICB to continue with consultation was “concerning” when there was “no money guaranteed” for the scheme.

“Not only is it causing uncertainty for residents, it is also diverting time and resources away from developing a ‘plan B’ to find investment for primary care buildings in Shrewsbury,” she added.

“We could spend another year chasing a promise that sounds very unlikely to come to fruition, whilst the issue of good premises for GP surgeries continues to cause problems for local services.”