Hundreds of patients have signed a petition saying Brading needs a GP surgery — following news their local practice is set to close.
The Isle of Wight NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is drawing up plans for alternative provision for 4,500 patients from April, 2020, after the wife and husband team who run Beech Grove Surgery — and a branch surgery in Lake — said they could no longer cope with increasing demand and fewer resources.
Petition launches by Residents’ Association
A petition has now been launched by the Brading Residents’ Association, calling on the CCG to provide a surgery and pharmacy in Brading. Six days after it was launched, it has been signed by more than 360 people.
Beech Grove patient Roisin Mullins, 37, has been collecting signatures.
She said:
“There are a lot of strong feelings here in Brading about losing our surgery and being farmed out to other overcrowded practices.
“Patients are currently set to be divided between surgeries in Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Bembridge and St Helen’s, unless Brading can attract a new GP in time.
“People are deeply concerned about the inconvenience — it is essential the CCG take note of the views being expressed by patients.”
“Left in the dark” say patients
The CCG has invited responses to a survey about future provision, but patients said they had been left in the dark — and had only found out what was happening after reading about it in the local media.
Roisin said:
“As a working mother with a baby boy born with sepsis, which we both contracted, I am concerned we are losing our local GPs, and that the CCG is not replacing them.
“Beech Grove has been a wonderful surgery for my family and was a breath of fresh air compared to our previous GPs.
“It is such a loss to our town. I truly hope we can find a new GP or practice group to take over the surgery in time. People need their local GPs.”
Final decision due next month
At a patient meeting on 4th October, the CCG said the Island had recently recruited nine GPs — but none were set to be placed in Brading and Lake.
A final decision on the future of the surgeries is due next month.
Paper petition
The petition can be signed in Brading shops or by contacting the Brading Residents Association via their Website.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may be been made by OnTheWight. Ed
