A GP surgery in north Kingston will finally be allowed to open, nearly two years after it was supposed to be serving its NHS patients.

The surgery at 164 Tudor Drive was fitted out by Dr Charles Alessi of Churchill Medical Practice in July 2008, at the same time as Kingston NHS Primary Care Trust was about to award a new contract for a GP surgery in the area.

But the contract went to Dr Muneeb Choudhry of AT Medics at 192 Tudor Drive, leaving Churchill to launch a legal appeal to the NHS competition panel, that ruled it should also be allowed to open to improve patient choice.

Dr Alessi said: “The competition panel gave its verdict and the Secretary of State gave his verdict.

“The question one needs to ask to one’s self is ‘why has it taken nearly two years for this to be dealt with?’ and it makes it very difficult.”

NHS Kingston had argued that allowing another NHS surgery to open would undermine Dr Choudhry.

Patient Grace Edwards, who organised a protest march in favour of Churchill, said: “It just shows that as a community we can take on the powers that be and win.”