A decision on the dispensary status of rural GPs is expected within days.

Doctors in Castle Hedingham and Sible Hedingham could be prevented from issuing medication under new NHS definitions of rural and urban areas.

GPs based in urban locations are not allowed to dispense medication and the NHS has been deciding whether the Hilton House Surgery, in Sible Hedingham, and The Castle Surgery in Castle Hedingham Surgery, still qualify as rural.

NHS England has told the surgeries they will announce the outcome of the review by the end of February.