Plan to cut surgery numbers in Billericay is rejected (From Echo)

Plan to cut surgery numbers in Billericay is rejected

6:00am Thursday 4th February 2010

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RESIDENTS have rejected plans to cut the number of GP surgeries in Billericay.

NHS South West Essex has said it will not seek to reduce the number of surgeries in the town, following a second wave of consultation with the public.

Documents passed to the Echo revealed a majority of residents disagreed with the idea of replacing the seven surgeries in the town with fewer, better-equipped clinics.

The trust will now look at how to expand services in the town while keeping the same number of surgeries.

Terry Gandy, Billericay town councillor, queried how the trust would manage the expansion.

He said: “We need some commitment we will get these extra services, because this is a ten-year plan.

“If we are to get extra services it will mean building new clinics, so the trust needs to get in early and buy the land so it’s ready to build on.”

In the questionnaire, 60 per cent of people who took part agreed with keeping the current system of seven GP surgeries. Just 14 per cent disagreed.

To another question on the trust’s plans, just 39 per cent favoured fewer, better-equipped clinics offering more services, while 40 per cent opposed the idea.

Meanwhile, 86 per cent of residents approved of modernising St Andrews Centre and other community services in the town, while only 7 per cent disagreed.

A total of 79 per cent of residents approved of offering outpatient and day services for adults with long-term illnesses at Mayflower Hospital.

In a trust statement on the review, project director Margaret Stockham, wrote: “There is confidence in the GP practices as they are.

“The people who responded expressed a marginal preference for the current system of small practices and did not favour the proposed reduction in the number of surgeries providing a wider range of services.”

Billericay MP John Baron, who sits on the review’s steering group, said: “We fought long and hard during the consultation to maintain the same number of surgeries and to expand services to St Andrews and Mayflower Hospital. My hope is we will succeed.”

Lynn McCullagh, associate director of strategic planning at the trust, said no new sites would be acquired and residents’ views had affected its strategy.

She said: “We have listened to residents’ feedback and it has had a direct impact on our draft health and wellbeing strategy for Billericay.

“We have listened to residents and drafted a strategy for the area.

“Once the draft is approved by our board, we will develop an action plan.”

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