Treatment of patients set to lose Shrewsbury GP surgery described as 'deplorable' as 1,000-signature petition presented
The treatment of thousands of patients soon to be left without a GP practice has been described as "deplorable" and "abominable".
A petition bearing more than 1,000 signatures against the imminent closure of Whitehall Medical Practice in Shrewsbury was presented at a full meeting of Shropshire Council.
It was revealed this summer that Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had failed to find a new provider to take over the running of the medical practice, which had more than 3,700 registered patients.
Dennis Cheese, who has spearheaded the campaign to save the practice from closure, spoke on behalf of the patients.
He said: "As patients we found out at the end of June that it will close at the end of September.
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"We can't understand why, with all the houses being built in Shrewsbury, that someone has decided to close a medical practice that was rated good by the Care Quality Commission, when another has been rated inadequate and is in special measures.
"We were told by the CCG 'we are shutting it, you can find another practice somewhere else in Shrewsbury'.
"The practices just can't cope with the extra influx of people."
Mr Cheese said patients were assured by the CCG that they would be helped to find an alternative GP practice but, just weeks before the closure, they are still yet to be offered any assistance.
He asked whether the council was aware of the closure before it was announced at such short notice.
Serious
Councillor Viv Parry said: "I would like to talk about the deplorable way these people have been treated.
"I know how difficult it is to get a really good GP practice.
"I know how hard it is for new practices to take on elderly people who can't get from one side of town to the other.
"We as a council should be doing something about it."
Councillor Hannah Fraser said: "There is not enough thinking between the council and the CCG about putting new practices where there are new houses going in."
Councillor David Vasmer said: "I think this is a really serious issue and shows the CCG does not consult properly with people.
"It holds meetings in secret and we are not allowed to see the minutes of those meetings.
"People were not told about this until it appeared in the press."
Councillor Kate Halliday said it was "not the CCG's finest hour".
She added: "We need to hold the CCG to a lot more scrutiny than we do at the moment."
Liberal Democrat group leader Roger Evans said: "The way these people have been treated is abominable."
Responding to the peition, Councillor Dean Carroll, portfolio holder with responsibility for public health, said: "I recognise the genuine concerns that have been raised by the patient community, but at the end of the day this is not a decision within the control of Shropshire Council, the CCG is the commissioner and ultimate decision maker."
Councillor Carroll said he wanted to reassure the almost 2,000 patients still registered with Whitehall that there was sufficient capacity at surrounding practices and the CCG would be assigning places.
He proposed no further action, and this was passed by members.
