Hope for at-risk doctors’ surgery in health shake-up across Walsall

The proposals, which also include scrapping weekend and out-of-hours appointments for five surgeries, were revealed earlier this year and will affect more than 30,000 patients.

Walsall Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had proposed to close Kingfisher Medical Practice, based at Bentley Medical Centre on Churchill Road in Bentley, and Keys Family Practice, based at Willenhall Health Centre on Field Street in Willenhall as part of the revamp.

Now, after a public consultation in which more than 1,000 responses were received, the CCG has been recommended to push ahead with the closure at Kingfisher but save the Keys in a report made by the Primary Care Commissioning Committee (PCCC).

The two practices look after 4,768 and 4,808 patients respectively.

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The PCCC, a committee branch of the CCG which includes some of its most senior members, has compiled a report on the options available in which it recommends the Keys Family Practice is retained, stating: "The option to retain the practice at Keys Family Practice provides the best option for future sustainability of surrounding practices in the area and addresses the social economic challenges of the people in the area.

"There is currently insufficient capacity in local practices to accommodate the patients registered at the Keys to make the option sustainable long term."

The report will be discussed at a social care and health scrutiny committee meeting tomorrow (Thursday).

Originally, patients at the Keys Family Practice would have had to register at one of the three practices based at the nearby Willenhall Medical Centre, Lockfield, Lockstown, Croft or other surrounding practices.

Plans have also been tabled to merge Manor Medical, Wharf Family Practice and Sai Medical Practice, as well as Blakenall Family Practice, Harden Family Practice and Coalpool Family Practice.

The closures and merges are on top of plans to stop five practices - Collingwood Family Practice, Keys Family Practice, Coalpool Family Practice, Harden Family Practice and Wharf Family Practice - opening some evenings and weekends.

Instead, Walsall CCG is proposing to provide evening and weekend services at some hub GP practices in the borough.

This move would affect 20,460 patients, with the CCG's overall proposals, including mergers and closures, affecting 37,692.

On the consultation process, which began on July 26 and ended on September 6, the PCCC report states: "The patient consultation events were well attended and there were over 1,000 completed surveys from the public to the consultation.

"Valuable feedback and comments were received that have informed the decision making process."