Freshbrook Surgery will be holding a meeting to allow concerned patients the opportunity to meet with Dr Dwivedi – the practice senior partner – and discuss the recent decision to cut the open days of the surgery from five days to three. Sanctioned by NHS England, this is to allow a shortage of doctors to be reviewed and is described as a temporary measure.
Freshbrook Surgery will be holding a meeting to allow concerned patients the opportunity to meet with Dr Dwivedi – the practice senior partner – and discuss the recent decision to cut the open days of the surgery from five days to three. Sanctioned by NHS England, this is to allow a shortage of doctors to be reviewed and is described as a temporary measure.
Whilst patients can still visit the Ridge Green surgery in Shaw, many patients have been in touch with the South Swindon Labour Party and Anne Snelgrove to voice their concerns about these changes – particularly elderly residents.
NHS England is the body that oversees the budget and day to day commissioning of the NHS in England – as set out in the Tories’ ‘Health and Social Care Act 2012’. They are responsible for GP provision in Swindon but have completely failed to provide full cover for patients across the town. First patients of Marlborough Road surgery were let down – and now Freshbrook Surgery patients are suffering too.
We’re under no illusion that Dr Dwivedi or the other doctors at Freshbrook Surgery are to blame for these changes. They are the direct result of Tory policy, where a massive £1.8 billion has been spent on an NHS reorganisation – despite pre-election pledges to the contrary.
We will repeal the Tories broken and ill thought out ‘Health and Social Care Act’ as soon as we are in government. We will guarantee that you can see a GP within 48 hours, and on the same day for those who need it. We will give people the right to book an appointment more than 48 hours in advance. We will put right all of the things about the NHS the Tories have broken and ensure people can depend on their local GPs once again.
Commenting on the reduction in opening hours at Freshbrook surgery Parliamentary Candidate Anne Snelgrove said "Many people in a Freshbrook have contacted me to express their concerns about the cuts at the surgery. Currently these cuts are temporary but I'm concerned NHS England will make them permanent, as they seem unable to provide us with more doctors.
I've raised this urgently with Labour's Health Team, who told me that the next Labour Government will employ 8,000 more doctors. I'll make sure Freshbrook is top of the queue."
The meeting will be held on the 7th of October at 6pm, at Freshbrook Community Centre.