The situation for patients across the Swindon area

Currently has 7,000 patients, four full time doctors, one part time, and a GP registrar. The surgery is taking on new patients from within the catchment area.

Westrop Surgery, 36 Berton Close, Blunsdon, 01793 721254

The surgery said it never closes its lists to people within the catchment area. There are currently 10,000 patients listed, with seven doctors.

The Crossroads Surgery, in Cricklade Road, has two doctors and 4,000 patients on its books. The surgery is currently unable to take on more patients because a doctor is off sick. It will only accept patients who live within a mile radius around the surgery.

The Hawthorn Medical Centre in May Close, Gorse Hill, was unavailable for comment.

The Great Western Surgery in Farriers Close, has three doctors and 5,281 patients. Its books are still open to new patients, but only those in its central Swindon catchment area. Practice manager Eddie Porter said there is space for about 200 new patients.

Tinkers Lane Surgery in Tinkers Lane, Wootton Bassett, is accepting new patients but only re-opened the books in January after a year of not taking new registrations. It is a five-doctor practice, but for much of last year the surgery only had three GPs. During that period, the number of registered patients fell from 10,000 to 9,200. Now another part-time doctor has been appointed and the number of registered patients is currently 9,350. The surgery accepts patients from Lyneham, Brinkworth and nearby villages.

New Court Surgery in Boroughfields, Wootton Bassett, is full to capacity and is not accepting new patients. The surgery currently has 8,200 registered patients. It has four GPs but also employs locums. Practice manager Elaine Smith said: "We are full to capacity, but it's not a desperate situation in Wootton Bassett. Both the surgeries in the town closed their books for a period last year and the health authority allocated patients."

Cricklade Surgery, in High Street, has never closed its books since it opened nine years ago. It has one GP- Dr Lanil De Silva, and 2,300 registered patients. Its catchment area is from South Cerney down to Blunsdon. Practice manager Karen De Silva said: "We don't have the same problems as Swindon."

Green Gable Surgery, in High Street, Cricklade, is a combined practice with Purton Surgery and both are accepting new patients. The practice has 9,500 registered patients with a third preferring to be seen in Cricklade. It has five full time and one part time doctor. People from surrounding villages such as Ashton Keynes and Oaksey, can also be treated there.

Ridgeway View Family Practice, Station Road, Chiseldon is still taking on new patients, as is Ridgeway View Family Practice, based at the The Health Centre in Barrett Way, Wroughton. Together, the two sites have some 10,000 patients.

Cornerstone Practice in Station Road, Chiseldon, is taking on new patients, and currently had about 12,000.

The Marlborough Road Surgery is taking on new patients. It also has a branch surgery in Covingham, which has places on its books, but will only accept patients from Covingham. It admits that its books are quite full.

Dr Guilding's surgery in Eldene declined to comment on the issue.

Eldene Health Centre has 7,500 patients on its books, who should be served by five doctors, but is about to go down to three. Practice manager Christine Mott said attempts were being made to recruit replacements, but that doctors were in short supply in Swindon. The surgery is not closing its books, but will only accept local people.

Ashington House surgery in Westlea is still taking patients from the West Swindon area.

Practice manager Sandra Walklett said it was unlikely any surgery would open its doors to patients from other areas - doctors would insist their patients lived a reasonable distance from the surgery for safety reasons.

"From the patients' perspective it looks like we are being difficult but our rules are based on their safety," she said. "We can't let our patient lists grow and grow because unless the number of doctors grow too we won't be able to look after them.

"Swindon is suffering from a shortage of doctors and I know there are many practices that have been trying to recruit for some time."

Freshbrook Surgery in Freshbrook Village Centre was unavailable for comment.

Ridge Green Medical Centre in Ramleaze Drive, Shaw, is full, and is only taking on patients who are from the same household as someone already on the books.

l Phoenix Surgery, Dunwich Drive, Toothill says it is still taking on patients.

Lawn Medical Centre in Guildford Avenue will take on new patients provided they live in eth area and are not already under another doctor.

Queens Park Surgery in Drove Road is only able to take on a small number of patients but has had to close to new patients in the past.

Christine Morgan, practice manager, said: "There are a lot of reasons for not being able to get a GP place. One of the main reasons is a shortage of GPs, but also people need more treatments these days and so they need more visits. Once our surgery could serve about 16,000 people - now I don't think we could manage more than 14,000."

At the Hermitage Surgery practice manager Renee Wheeler said: "We have a restricted practice area, it used spread across the area but there are not enough GPs, we are unable to expand our surgery." No new patients are being accepted.

Highworth Westrop Surgery declined to comment.

Taw Hill Surgery is still taking on patients.

North Swindon Surgery in Thames Avenue has spaces for new patients.

Sparcells Surgery is still taking on new patients from the area.

Kingswood Surgery in Park North has spaces for new patients from within the catchment area.

Abbey Meads Medical Practice in Elstree Way has about 10,700 patients on its books, with about a further 3,000 catered for by a branch surgery in Penhill Drive. There are six doctors working full-time as partners, but other doctors are brought in to work part-time as needed. Practice manager Henry Crawford said the roster of patients was growing, but added: "We welcome new patients, as long as they are from the Abbey Meads and Penhill areas."