Brighton parliamentary candidate calls for update on threatened doctors’ surgery

Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Brighton Kemptown has asked for an update on the future of a doctors’ surgery which is threatened with closure.

Nancy Platts contacted Brighton and Hove City Council chief executive Penny Thompson about the Eaton Place surgery in Kemp Town.

Ms Thompson offered to intervene personally when Ms Platts raised the matter at a Health and Wellbeing Board meeting last month.

An update will be given to the board when it meets on Tuesday 3 February.

Ms Platts led a delegation of patients from the surgery to the last Health and Wellbeing Board meeting, calling for the board to “replace Eaton Place”.

Nancy Platts

She also presented a petition because the surgery is due to close when the two current doctors – Malcolm Stalker and Robert Mockett – retire at the end of next month.

Letters have been sent to more than 5,000 of their patients encouraging them to register with other practices.

Another nearby GP surgery – in St James’s Avenue – closed in June 2010.

According to Ms Platts, Ms Thompson said that discussions were taking place between NHS England, the Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Dr Stalker and Dr Mockett and other local doctors.

Ms Platts said: “While the discussions have not been finalised, she said that a number of options are on the table which could include a future branch surgery of a different practice at the current practice premises or near by.

“An update on progress will go to the next Health and Wellbeing Board on (Tuesday) 3 February at Hove Town Hall.”

One of the local practices in the running to operate the Eaton Place surgery as a branch practice is the Brighton Health and Wellbeing Centre, in Western Road, Hove.

Ms Platts added: “It is welcome news that there is now a glimmer of hope Eaton Place surgery will be replaced.

“But I remain concerned that the timescale for the decision is very tight.

“Right now, we still have thousands of people looking for a new GP but we could be in a situation where thousands of patients reregister with another doctor miles away only to find that they could have stayed where they are.

“I would ask NHS England and the Health and Wellbeing Board to treat this matter with a greater sense of urgency so that local people do not suffer any further anxiety or inconvenience.

“If Eaton Place GP surgery is not replaced, it could impact on Accident and Emergency at the Royal Sussex and this must form part of the considerations.

“We have heard loud and clear from a local A&E consultant that this government’s cuts are damaging our NHS and staff are already being placed under too much pressure as a result.

“We cannot take the risk that thousands of displaced patients will end up going to A&E from February because they have not been able to find a nearby GP.”

Eaton Place surgery is currently scheduled to close on Saturday 28 February.