Whitchurch doctor's surgery cuts ties with community hospital

Dodington Surgery in Whitchurch will not be providing GP services to the town's community hospital any more after it was announced that the practice felt it could no longer provide the care.

But bosses at the hospital say arrangements are already in place and medical staffing remains unaffected.

Andrew Thomas, clinical services manager at Whitchurch Community Hospital, said: "Our patients receive the care and support they need from the hospital's own doctor and doctors from two other medical practices in the town, as well as our nursing and therapy staff.

"The arrangements we have in place at the hospital ensured that there was no disruption to services when the doctors from Dodington Practice felt they were unable to continue providing services."

Dr Ruth Clayton, senior partner at the surgery, said: "Local doctors have historically been employed by the community trust to provide medical cover for the in-patients at Whitchurch Hospital.

"The patients were generally residents of the town and the GP looking after the patient knew the patient and had all the medical information to hand.

"The doctors did this with cover provided by a consultant geriatrician who did a weekly clinic and ward round. Unfortunately, over the years this cover has disappeared and for at least three years there has been no cover provided by a consultant physician or geriatrician.

"This lack of cover for GPs combined with an increasing number of patients from anywhere in Shropshire being admitted with complex needs was causing us great concern.

"We discussed our concerns with Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group and we hoped that our withdrawal would generate a full and frank discussion regarding the care of all patients within community hospitals."

Both the hospital and surgery have emphasised that patients will not be disadvantaged in any way and arrangements are in place to ensure unchanged care.

It comes after fears were raised for the future of another surgery in the town.

Meanwhile bosses at the Richmond House Surgery, in Station Road, Whitchurch, have claimed their practice may have to shut down in 15 months at the end of its lease unless it can find another building to work from.

In a bid to save the surgery, staff jobs and also improve services in the area, doctors are hoping to merge with the Bridgewater Medical Practice in a base at the town's hospital.