A GP surgery, which is to have its funding cut by almost half, held its own inquiry – because NHS chiefs won’t commission one.
Slaithwaite Health Centre, which is facing funding cuts of 44%, organised a patient consultation in the surgery on Saturday.
Campaign group Slawit Health Centre SOS is urging patients to let NHS England know their feelings about the proposal to cut the practice’s budget by £277,000 each year for three years.
NHS England is to cut its budget for 22 of the 38 practices in Huddersfield and its surrounding villages, including Slaithwaite Health Centre.
Partners at the surgery, including outspoken GP Paul Wilding, have said the surgery will become unsafe and may have to close if the cuts go ahead.
READ MORE: #handsoffHRI: Emotions run high as campaigners meet for the first time
Patient and event organiser Fiona Russell said: “It’s astonishing. Slaithwaite Health Centre is one of the best GP surgeries in the country.
“How can NHS England impose such huge cuts without discussing them with us? The number of GP and nurse appointments will have to halve.
“The doctors say these cuts are impossible. The surgery will have the equivalent of one and a half full-time doctors looking after nearly 5,000 patients.”
The campaign group says it has asked NHS England to look into the planned cuts – but has so far had little success.
Ms Russell, of Marsden, added: “They don’t even acknowledge letters, whether from the doctors or us.”
Fellow campaigner Cath McGurk said: “Last year this surgery saved the wider local NHS £100,000.
READ MORE: Kirklees and Calderdale councillors given EIGHT HOURS to 'scrutinise' public consultation
READ MORE: 'We've halved waiting times,' say Huddersfield children's mental health bosses
“The doctors care for two-thirds of the people who live in the local care home and many of the older and sickest people living in the village, partly because the surgery is very accessible.
“Why on earth would you want to ruin a local service of this quality?”
Kathryn Hilliam, Head of Co-Commissioning for NHS England (West Yorkshire) said: “It is one of the higher funded practices in an area with low levels of deprivation when compared to other practices which have significantly challenging health needs.
“Changes to funding at Slaithwaite Health Centre are subject to discussion and NHS England expects to meet with the practice in March to agree a way forward and to ensure patients continue to receive the best patient care.”
For more information about the campaign search Slawit Health Centre SOS on Facebook or visit www.familydoctorsos.co.uk .
