A PATIENT group has raised an “incredible” £12,000 for the upkeep of a doctor’s surgery.

Greenwood Patient Participation launched the bid for cash for Greenwood Surgery in Tyler’s Ride, South Woodham Ferrers, in May.

In just ten days the group raised more than half its target and went on to collect £7,350 from 163 backers.

Other patients donated pieces of equipment leading to a total of just under £12,000 being raised.

Dr John Cormack has been working at Greenwood Surgery for more than 35 years and in recent times has been forced to put his own hand in his pocket to keep the surgery viable due to underfunding by the NHS.

The money generated from the crowdfunding will be used for the surgeries’ basic running costs including electricity, heating and upkeep of equipment.

John, who earlier this year recorded a song about the NHS, has also changed his name by deed poll to ‘John Cormack-the-Family-Doctor-who-works-for-the-NHS-for-free’.

Ian Gillard, of the Greenwood Surgery patient participation group, said: “It is incredible.

“It just demonstrates how the patients feel about Dr Cormack and Greenwood Surgery.

“We hit the £5,000 target very, very quickly and set another target for £8,000.

“Never in our wildest dreams did we think we would get just under £12,000.

“It will be an enormous help for Greenwood Surgery.”

But Mr Gillard said due to the underfunding it was likely other ideas for fundraising would have to be looked at.

He said: “I think the problem is we are going to have to keep doing these types of fundraising exercises to keep the surgery open.

“John has [previously] put his hand in his own pocket on occasions for thousands of pounds and we can’t as patients continue to ask him to do that. We are going to have to look at other ways.”

The patient group is now organising a sponsored Walk 4 Greenwood.

It will see patients walk two and a half miles in aid of the surgery on September 11 from 10.30am.

Mr Gillard said the patient group hoped to get up to 300 patients taking part.

Interested parties can pick up a sponsorship form and more details from the surgery reception or by visiting greenwoodsurgery.co.uk.