The Holland Surgery Debate (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

The Holland Surgery Debate

12:13pm Tuesday 24th March 2009

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WITH reference to the letter from Holland on Sea Councillors and the Holland Residents Association in last week’s Gazette. Perhaps, instead of condemning the people who voted them into their positions, they could actually make it crystal clear to residents exactly what is on offer. The proposed health centre and the urgency to achieve it is a direct result of a government led initiative to build 152 health centres in every PCT area of the country - whether needed or not - and because the PCT’s have a deadline from central government to put the health centres out to tender by the end of March.

Perhaps our councillors should have explained to residents that the government insists that health centres must be open 365 days a year for a minimum of twelve hours a day, that the BMA warns that a ‘one size fits all’ approach will lead to health centres being opened in areas where there is no need. There is strong evidence that small practices provide patients with good quality care, whereas health centres may not offer continuity of care.

They didn’t tell us these facts because they were too busy demonising residents who are concerned at having a facility of this kind located in a quiet residential area, built on previously undeveloped open space. They also did not tell us that the health centres will be privately funded on a three-five year contract and that can lead to fragmentation of services and a high turnover of GPs, just the problem that we have at present.

Why, when the PCT carried out their consultation, were patients of Frinton Road not given the choice, as were the other surgeries in the area, to retain the existing surgery? North Road surgery is in no better condition than Frinton Road. The answer of course is that the PCT have to build a super surgery somewhere in this area and they do not care where they do. Super surgeries/ GP led health centres/ poly clinics - call them what you will , the names are interchangeable, do not offer the best value for money in rural areas and there is no evidence that they offer continuity of care.

For the record, and to put all the councillors straight, the members of the ‘Save Our Space’ campaign are a group of residents, we have no political agenda, we do not wish to deprive anyone of a surgery. We are fighting to save the open space and if anyone would like to join us we would only be too happy for them to do so.

S Bennett, J Winn, P Winn, B Graham, K Mills, P Wren, J Wren, B Monk, C Lakey, T Lakey and H Graham.

Save Our Space Campaigners, Brighton and Hereford Road.

Holland.

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