GP surgeries at risk?

7:22am Thursday 19th June 2008

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EIGHT GP practices in Welwyn Hatfield are facing the threat of closure, we can reveal.

The Tories yesterday issued a list of endangered surgeries which could potentially close as a result of Government plans to build new "super surgeries."

Despite overwhelming public opposition to the proposals the new GP-led health centres are set to be given the go-ahead.

As a result hundreds of family doctor surgeries could face the axe because they are in the same catchment area as the proposed clinics.

Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust says no GP surgeries are at risk.

But the Tories have named eight practices in Welwyn Hatfield that it says are. None have been identified in the St Albans district.

Practices named in Hatfield are: Wrafton House, Lister House Surgery, Burvill House and Potterells Medical Centre.

Doctor surgeries facing the chop in Welwyn Garden City are: Peartree Surgery, Garden City Practice and Hall Grove Surgery. Bridge Cottage Surgery in Welwyn has also been named.

The total number of patients registered at these surgeries is 108,378.

Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps, who has previously lobbied against polyclinics', said: "This is outrageous.

"The Government was not concerned about closing down the emergency services at the QEII and now it is planning on closing our GP surgeries and our Post Offices.

"They must be out of their minds - it is no wonder that the people of Welwyn Hatfield do not trust them any more."

Doctors have argued that the polyclinics will mean that the traditional relationship between a family and their GP will be destroyed.

However Hertfordshire Primary Care Trusts spokeswoman Rose Child says the opening of a super surgery will not lead to closures elsewhere.

"The new GP led health centre in Welwyn Garden City will not lead to the closure of any GP surgeries," she said.

"The family doctor is at the core of delivering quality health care for Hertfordshire - our vision for the future of the NHS in Hertfordshire. Making it easier for more people to access these services and moving care away from hospitals to an NHS that delivers services people want and need as close to home as possible.

"GP led health centres will not lead to reduced funding to our current GPs, we will not corral GPs into new centres, and if GPs are providing the services and access their patients want there is absolutely no reason why patients should choose to move their registration.

"We do not apologise for increasing funding for primary care and making access to that primary care for all a priority in our vision."

Last week more than 1.2 million patients signed a petition protesting against plans for polyclinics, which was delivered to Gordon Brown.