Brighton surgery saved from closure

A Brighton doctors’ surgery has been saved from closure.

The GP surgery in Eaton Place, Kemp Town, was due to close at the end of next month when both doctors – Malcolm Stalker and Robert Mockett – are due to retire.

This morning (Wednesday 14 January) Simon Kirby, the Conservative MP for Brighton Kempown, said that NHS England had agreed to keep the surgery open.

The practice will be run as a branch surgery of the Brighton Health and Wellbeing Centre, in Western Road, in Hove.

It follows a series of meetings between Mr Kirby, Laura Marshall-Andrews, of the Brighton Health and Wellbeing Centre, and NHS England.

NHS England originally said that there was not enough time to run a proper and legal procurement process to enable the practice to continue with new doctors.

Dr Stalker and Dr Mockett, who own the surgery building, planned to turn it into housing. They have agreed to keep it in use as a surgery.

Mr Kirby said: “I have been working closely with Dr Marshall-Andrews and have lobbied NHS England repeatedly on this issue, including meeting with the director for Sussex and her senior team to make the case in person.

Laura Marshall-Andrews

“I was therefore delighted at the recent announcement that NHS England have awarded the contract to Dr Marshall-Andrews and that an NHS GP surgery will continue from the Eaton Place premises.

“This is great news for local patients, particularly the elderly and disabled who I know were very concerned about the potential upheaval.”

Any patients who have already registered in another practice are able to re-enrol at Eaton Place.

Dr Marshall-Andrews said: “I would like to thank Simon for all his help in making this a reality.

“He has been incredibly supportive and offered practical assistance without which we may very well not have got this great result.

“My team and I can now look forward to providing the best possible care for local patients in surroundings that will be familiar to them.

“I would encourage anyone who wishes to remain a patient at Eaton Place to enrol with us.”