Further to the decision by Universal Health Ltd1 to hand back the management of four GP surgeries2 to Lincolnshire West Clinical Commissioning Group (LWCGG) on 1 August 2016, two of which are in the City, Lincoln’s Member of Parliament, Karl McCartney MP, has called on LWCGG to publicly declare that they have no intention of closing these two surgeries.
The two surgeries affected are the Arboretum Surgery in Monks Road (3,200 registered patients) and the Burton Road Surgery (2,450 patients). A campaign on the latter led by local residents and Karl was successful in halting a planned closure due in March 2015. Karl has already been in contact with the various organisations involved, and campaigners, and is due to meet the LWCCG’s Chief Operating Officer in the coming weeks and he is aware that patients at both surgeries have been informed in writing. Karl has noted that the general excuses given to the media by LWCCG are being repeated with no examination, nor willingness to investigate, what their reasoning might be and what the realities might be for the individual doctors’ surgeries and Universal Health Ltd’s decision.
Karl McCartney JP MP, Lincoln’s Member of Parliament, said: “While it is disappointing that Universal Health has handed the keys back just over a year since they took over, the key matter is that over nearly 6,000 patients are still are able to use those two GP surgeries in my constituency. It is vital that the local Clinical Commissioning Group reassure those patients that they will both remain open, serving my constituents as they have done for many years, and that they, LWCCG, will urgently address the problems that Universal Health found when they took over, and take steps to be more helpful and supportive to any future management team.
“Our City is growing because of its success as a place to live and work, and the indigenous population is generally growing older. We need more GP provision, not less, and any moves to close these surgeries will of course have a negative impact on everyone in the City as waiting times for appointments will become worse as those patients have to find somewhere else to register. These two surgeries must remain open, and appropriate support provided by LWCCG to ensure a longterm prosperous future that satisfies my constituents, and their patients, across our City.”
- ENDS –
1. A joint venture between Lincolnshire and District Medical Services (LADMS) and Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) who are commissioned by LWCGG to run the GP surgeries. The contract was for five years and started on 1 April 2015 with the contract on the Burton Road surgery started on 1 July 2015
2. The surgeries are:
- Arboretum Surgery, 76 Monks Road, Lincoln, LN2 5HU (3200 registered patients)
- Burton Road Surgery, 181 Burton Road, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN1 3LT (2450 registered patients)
- Metheringham Surgery, High Street, Metheringham, LE1 6AS (1750 registered patients)
- Pottergate Surgery, Gainsborough, DN21 2UQ (3860 registered patients).
For further information, please contact Karl McCartney MP at [email protected] / 020 7219 7221.