4,000-patient surgery in Wolverhampton could face closure
Patients at an under-threat doctor’s surgery could be forced to travel further from their homes if proposals to permanently shut the branch are given the go-ahead.
Tettenhall Medical Practice’s Wood Road surgery, in Wolverhampton, is at risk of closing for good after facing spiralling costs, difficulties in recruiting permanent medics and a national shortage of GPs.
It would mean the 4,000 patients currently registered at the branch might have to travel for longer to be seen at the practice’s second base in Lower Street or find another surgery.
A letter sent to residents said: “For some time Tettenhall Medical Practice has been experiencing difficulty in managing and sustaining the branch surgery in Wood Road, Tettenhall.
“All our patients deserve a high quality healthcare service but for a number of reasons we feel unable to deliver the services we would like to from this branch.”
The letter added: “Therefore, we have made a request to NHS Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group to close the Wood Road branch surgery.”
The practice wants to “centralise” medical services at its Lower Green site to offer a more “flexible and efficient” service.
They have blamed a lack of family doctors and increasing costs for difficulties in sustaining the practice.
Consultation
A 90-day consultation on the proposed closure was launched earlier this week, with staff also planning to host drop-in sessions to curb patient concerns.
The letter read: “For the partners of Tettenhall Medical Practice, the decision to request the closure of the branch surgery has not been taken lightly.
“Over the past months we have tried various solutions to keep the branch surgery open.
“However, the national shortage of GPs has led to difficulty in recruitment of permanent doctors, and due to increasing financial costs we are now at the point where we feel the branch surgery is no longer sustainable.
“As GPs we are primarily concerned with the well-being of our patients.”
It added: “We believe that by centralising services to a single site at Lower Green health centre we will be able to offer a more flexible, efficient GP service with better access for our patients.”
The consultation will end on July 28, with drop-in sessions set to take place on May 13 at the Lower Green surgery and May 15 at the wood Road surgery.
