Doctor vents anger over Shrewsbury GP surgery closure
A doctor who works at a Shrewsbury medical practice which is set to close at the end of the month has said he is 'annoyed' with the Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group.
Dr Nigel Leaver, from Whitehall Medical Practice was speaking out after it was revealed that Severn Fields Medical Practice had been told it must improve by health inspectors.
With his surgery facing closure, hundreds of its patients are expected to move to Severn Fields.
Dr Leaver said: "I know some of the staff at Severn Fields and they work extremely hard fighting an uphill battle.
"I am very annoyed with the CCG. Our practice was 3,900 patients ,the majority of which have SY1 postcodes who will now end up at a struggling practice (Severn Fields), so adding to their problems.
"Whitehall Practice was highly rated and we had spare capacity to expand.
"It is common knowledge that Severn Fields was struggling and yet the CCG have added to their problems by giving them extra work by closing a successful thriving practice.
Reduce
"Severn Fields did write to the CCG in January warning them not to close Whitehall as they would struggle to cope with the extra workload.
"Most practices are south-based, in the slightly better side of town. These practices are now contracting their practice boundaries to reduce their list size as they are working at capacity. The result of this is most patients north of town, where the most need is, will have no option but to have Severn Fields as their practice."
Patients at Whitehall Practice were told earlier this year that the surgery would be closing as the CCG had failed to find anyone to take over the contract once the current provider, Malling Health, ceased operating it.
At a meeting of Shropshire Council's health and adult social care overview and scrutiny committee last month, Councillor Kate Halliday said she was “amazed” a new firm had not been found to take on the contract and said she did not think Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group had worked hard enough to keep the practice going.
Nicky Wilde, director of primary care at the CCG, defended the process and at the meeting said she “can’t make people bid for a contract”.
She added: “Have we worked hard enough? That’s something the committee has asked and we did go through the procurement process."
