THE FUTURE of a community's GP service is set to be decided at a meeting this evening.
Controversial plans to merge five West Bridgford GP surgeries into one £8m super hub have been recommended for approval and will be considered by the Development Control Committee meeting at the Rushcliffe Civic Centre on Pavillion Road at 7pm.
Scores of residents are expected to go to the meeting to highlight their disappointment at the plans that will replace five existing surgeries at Southview, Trent Bridge, Ludlow Hill, Musters Road and Compton Acres with one centre on Wilford Lane.
A patients' group, Patients Against Surgeries Move (PASM) has been campaigning against the changes and has sent an alternative plan to councillors to consider ahead of the meeting.
Peter Jaggar is a member of the PASM group. He said: "This is totally the wrong location for both the existing and likely future catchment area of these five surgeries.
"There are good planning reasons for refusing the application - the site is very hard to reach by all sustainable modes of travel, especially for the thousands of people who are elderly or disabled."
About 30,000 patients will be affected by the plans to merge the surgeries.
Patrick Armstrong of Musters Crescent used to work for the City Council and has provided the group with transport and highways advice.
He said: "I believe there are very substantial travel, access, environmental, social and economic sustainability failings in the proposed site. These failings have not been satisfactorily addressed."
A spokesperson for Notts Primary Care Trust said: "GPs involved in the project looked at 60 different sites in West Bridgford. The practices examined 23 sites in detail, but unfortunately only one of the sites was deemed suitable for their needs.
"The GP practices are working with Notts County Council, Rushcliffe Borough Council and local bus companies on the options for improving transport links."
The deputy chief executive of Rushcliffe Borough Council, Paul Randle said the plans have been well publicised.
Dr Gavin Derbyshire, a GP at the Musters Road Medical Practice, said: "It will greatly improve services; all the practices as they stand are sub-standard. They are in houses from the 1930s, some even older, that were not designed to be doctors surgeries.
"This makes disabled and access for the elderly difficult, with stairs in the surgery.
He added: "If we have to use a room downstairs it means the nurses have to suspend surgery which creates a backlog and increases waiting times.
"The new premises will allow for a better range of services and facilities."
Do you think the new surgery is a good idea? Contact Peter Blackburn on 0115 905 1955 or email peter.blackburn@nottinghampostgroup.co.uk
