A group of doctors’ surgeries that serve 60,000 people face “a serious threat of overload” because of plans for new care homes, it is claimed.

A patients’ organisation is worried about the strains the facilities will place on doctors’ time and their ability to care for residents already on their books.

They say they “pose a threat to all surgeries and patients in the district.”

It follows the granting of planning permission for one 78-bed care home in Kings Hill, and a 70-bed care home near West Malling train station.

It is understood others are in the pipeline.

The approved facility will be for people with extra dependency and dementia. Developer Aspire has permission to demolish a former office block in Gibson Drive to build it.

Lovett Care, which has since bought the site, expects to open in early 2026.

Bob McDonald, chairman of The West Malling Group Practice Patient Participation Group, said: “There are 10 doctors currently at the West Malling practice - and one of them spends a half-day each week at the existing local care home, The Lavenders.

“[The new home] will be at least another half-day taken up, leaving less time for patients already on their books.”

The West Malling practice is part of the Malling Primary Care Network, which takes in five local surgeries that between them serve around 60,000 patients.

The others are the Phoenix Medical Practice, the Snodland Medical Practice, Thornhills Medical Practice and Wateringbury Surgery. Tey have 38 doctors between them.

Mr McDonald said: “I’m speaking on behalf of the chairs of all the patient participation groups for the surgeries concerned.

“We understand that two other care homes are also being proposed for West Malling.”

Mr McDonald said that when the local authorities grant planning permission, insufficient attention was being given to where the medical care will come from.

He said: “Increased demand from these care homes will land on the surgeries with no extra provision of clinical or other resources.

“This will cause the current difficulty in getting an appointment to be significantly increased.

“It has been claimed that care homes don’t increase demand because most of the places go to people already living in the area.

“Even if that were true, there would still be increased demand from new people moving into their now empty homes.”

“In any case, there can be no guarantee that the care home residents will come from the local surgery’s catchment area.”

Mr McDonald said: “It’s also been suggested that these care homes will provide their own in-home medical resources. That is complete nonsense.

“They may provide care assistants but they will still need to call on GPs on many occasions.

“None of the care homes is planning to provide its own in-house GP.”

Mr McDonald said the PCN was urging members to write to their MP Tom Tugendhat on the issue and be sure to respond to the borough council opposing any future care home applications unless they were accompanied by a provision to increase local GP services.

He said there was group-wide concern because if waiting times increased in one surgery, patients were likely to seek to transfer to another, shifting the burden on.

He said: “These planning permissions are a threat to all surgeries and patients in the Malling PCN district.”

A spokesman for Lovett Care said: “Based on our previous experience, we find that many of our potential residents already reside within the local area and can continue to remain with their current GP practices.

“We are confident that the benefits of providing much-needed quality care in the local area outweigh these concerns and that the GP surgeries will support our new home.”

A separate application for a 70-bed care home on land off Station Road North, close to West Malling Station, was initially refused planning permission by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council.

It then won permission on appeal.