Health chiefs asked to sign off Telford GP surgery closures
NHS commissioners will be asked to sign off the closure of three branches of a Telford “super-practice” next week.
Teldoc, which currently operates nine sites around Telford, is proposing to close Aqueduct Surgery, Highfield Clinic and Lightmoor Health Centre and open a group-wide “Care Navigation Centre” to serve the six that remain.
At previous meetings of Telford and Wrekin’s Clinical Commissioning Group and the borough council’s Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee, Teldoc chairman Ian Chan has argued the move will free up clinical rooms and make it easier for patients to book appointments.
The plan has already been signed off by Telford & Wrekin CCG Primary Care Commissioning Committee chairman Peter Eastaugh, and a report before the body’s governance board asks it to do the same when it meets next week.
Agreed
Report author Alison Smith, the CCG’s executive lead for governance and engagement, writes that Teldoc first presented the proposal in June, and carried out a public engagement programme throughout the summer.
“An extraordinary meeting of the PCCC took place on September 3,” she adds.
“Following discussion, it was agreed the CCG would sign off the rationalisation plan, subject to the confirmation that the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee were satisfied with the scope of the engagement process.”
Mr Eastaugh, along with CCG accountable officer David Evans and chairman Jo Leahy, approved the decision on behalf of the committee.
Ms Smith writes: “This report seeks to report the decision made and ask the governance board to ratify the decision.” The CCG’s full governance board will discuss the proposal when it meets at Wolverhampton University’s Telford campus on Tuesday, November 12.
