LOCAL campaigners have started a petition calling on Frome Medical Practice to rerun its consultation on the Lock’s Hill surgery following concerns about residents’ wellbeing after it closed in September.
Members of East Mendip Green Party started collecting signatures from shoppers on Culverhill recently, and say they found people were unhappy about the closure.
Party member John Clarke said, “Lock’s Hill is a vital service for many people who live in the east of Frome, and its closure will result in real difficulties, particularly for the elderly, disabled and other disadvantaged people.
“Frome Medical Practice has suggested improving transport to the medical centre on the other side of town on Enos Way, but this is no replacement for having accessible services at the heart of the community, and there is no guarantee that these transport improvements will ever materialise.”
The petition, intended to lobby NHS England to stop the surgery from being allowed to close, has garnered around 50 signatures so far. It echoes concerns raised by chair of local charity Fair Frome, Bob Ashford, who said the consultation was ‘a sham’ and that vulnerable people were being put at risk by the closure.
Green Party district councillor for Frome, Shane Collins said, “The consultation was only four weeks over summer holidays, not 12 weeks as recommended. The lease on the surgery has been allowed to run out before a decision from NHS England on its closure. When Park Road Surgery closed some years ago it was only agreed to on the condition that Locks Hill surgery was kept open to serve people in east Frome.
“If that is taken away some people will have to travel one and half miles to Frome Medical Centre. With a limited bus service, a taxi will be the option for more than half the people of Frome who do not have a car and can’t make it on foot.”
The Green Party’s petition is online at www.change.org/p/nhs-england-save-lock-s-hill-surgery
When Frome Times went to press Frome Medical Practice had not received the NHS’s approval for closing the surgery.
Senior partner Dr Helen Kingston said, “The patient consultation process on the future of Locks Hill told us that in the event of the branch surgery closing, 341 patients (out of a total of 386) said that they would be able to satisfactorily access the medical services at the main Medical Centre at Enos Way.
“As we always have done, we shall continue to work closely with our elected representatives. However, every year our funding is cut which makes the running of any GP practice extremely challenging. Our patients (and the PPG) tell us that what they want is to be offered more and quicker appointments. I agree entirely with our patients. It also means that we must be flexible which is why I am grateful to the imaginative ideas and contribution coming from our local councillors and others.”
Dr Kingston acknowledged the 44 respondents who responded negatively to the consultation, many of whom had concerns about transport. She said the practice is working to improve access to the practice, including via discussions with an established volunteer driver scheme, improved bus services, and undertaking a parking survey. Frome Medical Practice serves around 29,000 patients.