Grampound Surgery: PCT Board fail to make decision

This is a copy of the press release that I issued on 27 March 2012 in response to the PCT's failure to make a decision on the future provision of services at Grampound and the Merlin Centre.

CORNWALL COUNCILLOR SLAMS PCT AS IT FAILS TO MAKE A DECISION ON FUTURE OF GRAMPOUND SURGERY

Bob Egerton, Cornwall Councillor for Probus Division, has criticised the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust as it failed to make a decision on the future of Grampound Surgery at its Board Meeting today. The Board decided to have further discussions with Doctors Round and Partners of Probus Surgery over what level of provision should be made at Grampound Surgery and the Merlin Centre. The doctors had proposed cutting the number of GP clinics at these locations from the previous level of 7 surgeries per week to 4 surgeries per week. The PCT's own GP Contracting Group recommended to the Board that the doctors should be required to maintain the current level of provision. Bob Egerton spoke in support of the recommendation. Dr Emma Campbell of Probus Surgery asked that the doctors be allowed to move some provision to Probus rather than maintain it in Grampound or the Merlin Centre. The PCT Board members engaged in little debate over the matter and seemed unclear what to do. The Chief Executive then suggested that further discussions should take place with the doctors to try to reach a compromise. 

Bob Egerton says, "I am very disappointed in the PCT Board. This issue has been discussed ad nauseam for nearly a year. The initial proposal by the doctors was to close Grampound Surgery completely. Understandably, this proposal attracted strong opposition from the residents of Grampound and, after some months of public consultation, the proposal was withdrawn. A plan B was then formulated that involved scaling back the provision at Grampound. This was also subject to public consultation. The PCT's officers considered the results of the consultation and then formulated their report to the Board. It seems that the Board is more concerned with not upsetting the doctors than with accepting the results of the public consultation and the recommendations of its own officers. Today was an opportunity for the PCT Board to demonstrate that it has the responsibility to determine what primary health care should be provided to Cornish residents, not for doctors to decide for themselves. The Board flunked that opportunity."

For further comments, please contact:

Bob Egerton

March 2012