A GP surgery is set to lose a £50,000 grant established to help it serve rural communities.

Corwen Family Practice has appealed to voters to help secure funding for the Welsh NHS by choose a political party that will increase funding of the National Health Service in Wales.

A letter from the practice sent to the Corwen Patient Support group read: “Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is removing a £52,320 per year Rural Support Payment to Corwen Family Practice. A payment of this type has been in place for at least 15 years and has kept this rural practice of 4,000 patients viable for doctors and nurses to serve the community. Political pressure on the Health Board to balance its books is leading to the staged removal of this payment.

“The practice is appealing against this decision. The loss of this funding will make it very difficult to recruit future health care staff (GPs and nurses) to Corwen. Corwen Family Practice requires payment for work undertaken for the Health Board such as taking blood for hospital patients and providing a specialist local cardiology service. The people of Corwen also miss out on a number of the specialist nursing services, provided to people living closer to hospitals such as end of life specialist care).

Betsi Cadwalladr University health Board says they are still hoping to agree funding with the centre.

A statement read: “We are working in partnership with the practice to agree ongoing funding support, in line with the Welsh Government’s GP Sustainability Assessment Framework. This will help the practice continue to provide a service for residents in Corwen and the surrounding area. We are also finalising payment for additional cardiology services provided by the practice. There is no change to our commitment to a make a significant investment into the redevelopment of Corwen Health Centre, and we are currently tendering for contractors to finalise the plans for the development.”