'We can't afford it': Residents shocked as medical practice says it has to stop offering blood tests
A medical practice in rural south Shropshire has announced that it will stop taking vital blood tests because it "cannot afford" to keep providing the service.
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Residents have reacted with shock to the announcement by Bishop’s Castle Medical Practice, one saying it would be "intolerable" not to have the tests in the town.
Community campaigner Keith Whiddon said: "It is intolerable that residents of a remote rural community like ours should be subjected to a healthcare service worse than you might expect in a third world country."
He urged regional health leaders to find a solution.
In a statement posted on social media the practice said: "Due to the continuing chronic underfunding of Primary Care, we have taken the difficult decision to stop blood tests at the practice as of May 22, 2024.
"This is not a decision we wanted to make and we are aware that this will be very unpopular with all of our patients, but unfortunately we cannot afford to continue to provide this service."
The statement says that taking taking blood and processing it for delivery to the lab is not a 'core' GP service for which they are paid but one of several additional locally commissioned services which are paid for (or not) by the local Integrated Care Board (ICB).
The statement adds that the practice has approached the Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin ICB and asked for the funding to be increased for this service.
