Petition launched to keep Tettenhall GP surgery open
A petition has been launched to save a busy Wolverhampton GP surgery by residents angered at plans to close it.
Tettenhall Medical Practice, in Wood Road, announced last month that it would be shutting in order to combine services with its other practice in Lower Street.
The news has been met with dismay by residents, many of whom are elderly and have relied on the practice for years.
They have now set up an online petition in a bid to prevent the closure.
Dave Phillips, who lives near Tettenhall and has visited the surgery with his grandmother on many occasions, said: “This is dreadful news for everyone in the area, and it’s down to yet more cutbacks in our health service.
“My gran relies on the practice being where it is in Wood Road as she is unable to walk long distances. She will be utterly devastated, I know.
“It’s easy for those in charge to just close the doors because they have to save money or whatever, but how many of them really give a thought to just how badly this affects the day-to-day lives of patients out there, especially the elderly?”
A public consultation into the closure proposals is currently running until Sunday July 28, giving members of the public the chance to have their say on the plans.
Essential
Councillor Sohail Khan said: “This affects around 4,000 people.
“It is absolutely essential that we keep keep a surgery open within easy reach of the citizens of Tettenhall Wood – many of whom rely on public transport or walking in order to access medical services.
“There is an ongoing expansion of retirement accommodation in the area and the elderly population is increasing all the time, so this is becoming ever more important as every day goes by.
“As much as we are aware of the shortage in GPs, every effort should be made to recruit new doctors for the surgery and in the meantime it should be kept open with a skeleton staff.
“People have generally always been very happy with the services provided at Tettenhall Wood and just can’t see that an equivalent service could be provided by having just one surgery at Lower Green, which would involve seeing around 12,000 patients,” he added.
“I have serious concerns that accessibility and the availability of care would be severely compromised and I would urge everyone to sign the online petition to stop this clinic from closing.”
Councillors inTettenhall met with health bosses from Wolverhampton’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) earlier this month to explore possible options for keeping the Wood Road premises open. However, a decision on the plans is not expected until later in the summer.
The petition to save Wood Road surgery can be signed here.
Residents can also have their say through the public consultation at www.tettenhallmedicalpractice.nhs.uk/proposed-branch-closure/
