Vulnerable at risk after surgery closure, says charity boss

A DOCTORS surgery in Frome closed down suddenly last week in a move that has been heavily criticised by a local charity group.

Locks Hill GP surgery, run by the Frome Medical Practice, closed on Tuesday 27th September, meaning all its patients must now use the practice’s main centre on Enos Way.

The closure came abruptly after a consultation on the future of the surgery, which local charity Fair Frome has said was a ‘sham’ and that there was no intention of keeping the surgery open.

Frome Medical Practice has said the Enos Way centre is better equipped to serve its patients and that it wants to redirect the £150,000 per year spent on Locks Hill into improving services at the main practice.

Following a letter sent to Frome Times from Fair Frome last month, the charity’s chairman Bob Ashford spoke at a recent town council meeting. He called on the town council to support him as he calls for the consultation to be rerun and the surgery reopened, and councillors agreed unanimously.

Bob said, “A consultation designed to get people’s views when it was clear that the lease was going to end in September was a sham, quite honestly.

“The surgery opened in the early ‘90s because people living in the area around The Mount found it difficult to access services at other surgeries in the town. Within five years of it being established, Frome Medical Practice took it over and promised it would remain open.

“It was absolutely clear from the beginning of this consultation that the intention was to close the surgery on Locks Hill. What we’re going to see is a really hard fought resource closing, and one which serves the whole eastern end of this town.

“People with young children, and the elderly, will now have to get a bus or walk from one side of town to the other to get to the medical practice.

“Anyone who is lucky enough to have a car will probably find they can’t park there. That’s something the surgery already has huge issues with. Most importantly, it’s the most vulnerable people in Frome who are going to be the losers in this. I’m honestly surprised there hasn’t been more outcry about it.”

Dr Helen Kingston, senior partner at Frome Medical Practice said staff at the practice had since met with members of Fair Frome to discuss the issue.

She said, “There were differences of opinion at the meeting with Fair Frome over the future of Locks Hill surgery, but the meeting was extremely positive discussing how the Frome Medical Practice can help with issues ranging from better local transport to the delivery of preventative medical services from local venues apart from the Medical Centre.

“It has been 13 years since the Frome Medical Practice assumed responsibility for Locks Hill surgery. But since the opening of the new medical centre at the end of 2013, the whole landscape of medical provision in Frome has been transformed.

“The reality is that all of our major services, including blood clinics, already take place at Enos Way. I can re-assure our patients who would normally use Locks Hill that many more doctors and clinicians work at the Medical Centre and with more than 100 appointments now available every day at the walk-in clinic, there will be no extra delay in securing an appointment.

“Our patients should know that as a practice every year our funding is squeezed. There is not a bottom-less pit of money. As GPs we have to make difficult choices on how best to spend the limited money available.

“What our patients are telling us (and this is reflected in the response to the consultation process) is that they want more appointments and easier access to their GP, not reductions in the service that we offer. Our patients’ own representative body, the Patients Participation Group is telling us the same story.

“I agree with our patients. At a time of unprecedented pressure on the NHS, the money spent on keeping the Locks Hill surgery open is far better spent on contributing towards the salary of a new GP or nurse practitioner so that our patients are then able to be offered more and quicker appointments.”

Dr Kingston confirmed that the practice had “vacated the building and suspended all medical services, clinics and appointments” at Lock’s Hill. The practice is waiting for a final decision from NHS England over whether the surgery will close permanently.

Marina Muirhead, head of primary care for NHS England South West said, “As commissioners of Primary Care, NHS England would need to approve [an application to close the surgery] with careful consideration of the impact to patients.

“We want to ensure primary care is sustainable and would need to carefully consider making any decisions that would impact on patients. We are carefully considering this application for closure and will make a decision shortly.

“We were made aware on Tuesday [27th September] that the practice had closed the branch surgery and we are seeking assurances from the practice about the position, to ensure that patients continue to get access to GP care.”