Anger over plans to close Mount Street doctors' surgery

[dutchman]

Anger has broken out over a plan to close a doctors’ surgery in Coventry.



A campaign to save one of Forrest Medical Centre’s two sites has been launched after news of a proposal to shut its GP practice in Chapelfields.

Health chiefs have announced moves to develop Forrest Medical Centre in Canley – but the plan would see the closure of its Mount Street site.

The aim is for the single-site surgery to be up and running by August 2014.

It means Forrest Medical Centre patients living in Chapelfields would have to travel three miles to visit their GP.

A petition opposing the scheme has been launched due to fears it would hit the elderly especially hard.

The petition calls on the Coventry and Rugby CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) - which organises delivery of local NHS services – to reconsider.

Coun Bally Singh (Lab, Whoberley), who started the online petition, said: “I am shocked at the lack of consultation on this decision by the Forrest Medical Centre to move to Canley next year, and intend arranging a meeting with the practice manager to find out more.

“This move seems more motivated by money than anything else.

“Since when has the NHS become a business?

“I therefore urge local residents to sign the petition to save the Forrest Medical Centre in Chapelfields and let their feelings be known.”

Practice user Nicola Harper posted on the online petition: “It is not an option for us to travel to Canley as it is too far away.

“We as a family will be very sad if Mount Street closes.”

Officals at Forrest Medical Centre say it is more cost effective to run one site than two, and the Canley site was chosen for the development because it is the main GP surgery in a regeneration area.

It is said there are a number of other practices near the Chapelfields site.

They say the move would result in patients being offered more services and a wider choice of appointments.

City council officials say the council supports high quality primary care services being available to residents.

Coun Steven Thomas, chairman of the health and social care scrutiny board, said: “I have been clear to health commissioners that I expect them to bring forward to scrutiny any proposals that would constitute a significant change in provision.’’

A spokesman for NHS England in Arden, Herefordshire and Worcestershire said: “NHS England is currently developing a process so that previously-agreed developments, including Canley, can be progressed.

“The area team must now ensure that the business case, affordability and sustainability of the proposal are robustly demonstrated.

“We are interested in understanding the public concerns about any new developments and welcome views from anyone who would be affected by them.”

[dutchman]

Mum hits out at plan to close doctors' surgery in Chapelfields



A mum-of-two has hit out at plans to close her local doctors’ surgery.

Ellen Pinks says Forrest Medical Centre in Chapelfields has been a “godsend” for her young family, especially as her toddler Connor suffers recurring chest infections.

But the surgery in Mount Street is set to close, as the Telegraph reported last month.

Local health officials announced the controversial move as part of a plan to develop its sister practice, Forrest Medical Centre in Canley, as a single-site surgery to be up and running by August 2014.

The news has sparked anger in the community that residents on the Chapelfields site patient list would have to travel three miles to see their GP.

There are fears about the impact it would have on the elderly and those without their own transport, such as Ellen who is unable to drive.

And the 33-year-old, of Kilburn Drive, Chapelfields, is among 700 people to have signed petitions online and in the community calling for a U-turn on the proposal to close the long-standing practice.

She believes it is purely a cost-cutting measure.

“You shouldn’t put a price on health,” she said.

“I can’t drive so I would have to go to another practice nearby. It’s not only unfair on people who want to continue going to the Chapelfields surgery but to the doctors and patients at other surgeries who will see their numbers go up.

“It seems money is being put before health.”

Ellen cannot understand why they would want to close the practice. She said: “The surgery has been a godsend to me with two young children and throughout my pregnancy with my second child.

“My son Connor is susceptible to chest infections and I’ve always been able to get appointments quickly. I cannot fault it.”

Officials at Forrest Medical Centre say it is more cost-effective to run one site, and the Canley site was chosen for the development because it is the main GP surgery in a regeneration area while there are a number of other practices near the Chapelfields site.

Councillor Bally Singh who launched the petitions has arranged a meeting with the practice manager next week. He said: “I plan to hand the petition during my meeting with the Forrest Medical Centre practice manager.

“It is clear that the level of concern from affected residents is great, and they fear the proposed closure of the Mount Street GP surgery is a sign that the values of localism and the NHS are being lost.”

[dutchman]

New Canley GP surgery set to be built in merger plans

A major construction project is due to begin to merge two doctors’ surgeries in Coventry.

The development of the Forrest Medical Centre site in Prior Deram Walk, Canley, is set to start within the next few months.

However, it will see the closure of its sister site in Mount Street, Chapelfields, a move met with opposition when the scheme was announced.

As the Telegraph previously reported, plans to merge the two sites sparked anger from users of the surgery in Chapelfields.

Critics complained of a lack of consultation and feared the prospect of having to travel three miles to see their GP at the new single-site surgery in Canley.

Amid concerns it would hit the elderly and those without transport particularly hard, a campaign to save the Mount Street surgery was launched with an online petition.

However, the merger was supported by Coventry City Council and the Coventry and Rugby NHS Clinical Commissioning Group.

Officials for Forrest Medical Centre argued it was more cost-effective to run one site rather than two, and the Canley site was chosen for the development because it is the main GP surgery in a regeneration area, while there are a number of other practices near the Chapelfields site.

They also said the development would lead to a range of benefits for patients, with additional services available at the new purpose-built surgery, improved access to GPs who will not lose time travelling from one surgery to another.

The completion date is set for autumn 2015 and it is hoped the new surgery will help reduce the number of trips patients need to make to hospital.

Jan Butterworth, head of primary for the NHS England Arden, Herefordshire and Worcestershire local area team, said: “As with any change to patient services, the main priority is to ensure that patients can continue to have access to high-quality GP services.

“There has been extensive patient engagement over the past few years lead by NHS England and the GP practice to ensure that patients have been informed with the progress of the redevelopment and the possible implications that the relocation will have.”

Most of the patients of the surgery in Mount Street are elderly and infirm so the new new surgery will be completely useless to them.