Vigil to be held for closing Shrewsbury GP surgery

Whitehall Medical Practice, in Shrewsbury, is shutting after Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) failed to find a new operator to run it.

Campaigners claim that other practices in the area cannot cope with an influx of extra patients from the practice which had more than 3,700 registered.

See also:

• Treatment of patients set to lose Shrewsbury GP surgery described as 'deplorable' as 1,000-signature petition presented

• 2,000 patients 'could be left without a GP' after Shrewsbury practice closes

• ‘We will fight for GP surgery’ say Shrewsbury campaigners ahead of meetings

But the CCG insisted that residents will be given help to find a new surgery to join.

They are organising a vigil on Friday between 10am and 11am at the site in Whitehall Mansion, Monkmoor Road, to mark its closure and a urge those patients who have been unable to find a new GP to attend the event.

Campaigner Dennis Cheese said: “We believe that over 1,500 patients will not have moved to a new GP by the time Whitehall closes. The CCG says that all these patients will receive a letter allocating them to a new GP practice. The problem here is that they may be allocated a new GP practice, but people must apply to join.

"We have been told that the Belvidere Practice, which is the nearest one to Whitehall, is only accepting five patients a day.

“That means that even though Whitehall patients have been allocated a new GP Practice, they could be waiting months to be accepted.”