A village GP surgery has temporarily closed after a member of staff at a sister practice tested positive for coronavirus.

Reedham Surgery will be closed from Monday, December 21, with staff moving to cover Acle Surgery, where a positive case has resulted in nine members of staff needing to self-isolate until Christmas.

In a statement on Facebook, a spokesperson said: "We have had a confirmed Covid positive member of staff at Acle Surgery which has resulted in nine members of our team now having to isolate until Christmas.

"Our dispensary team has been affected the most and the team are now depleted by over 50pc.

"Dispensing staff have special training and are a strictly limited resource.

"Regretfully, from Monday, December 21, our Reedham team will therefore be moving to Acle, and Reedham Surgery will have to temporarily be closed.

"All medication will need to be collected from Acle until we are able to notify you otherwise.

"If you cannot collect your medication, please let us know and we will deliver to you, but our plea to you all is that, where possible, can you try and collect or ask a relative or friend to collect for you."

The surgery has arranged for patients to attend the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NNUH) for Covid vaccinations.

The statement continued: "Thank you for all your support and apologies for any inconvenience.

"We would like to reassure you that we are still, and will remain, open and operating as normally as we can, albeit with a much reduced team.

"Looking ahead, we are also very pleased to say that a number of our patients have received the Pfizer vaccine and we will be making contact with all patients in need of the vaccination as supplies become available, in line with advice from Public Health England and our NHS partners.

"This programme will ramp up significantly in the new year.

"We are looking forward enormously to providing this service on your behalf."

"We hope that this will be the gateway to an eventual return to a more normal life."