Tom Biggins, Conservative Spokesman for Telford, welcomed Stephen O’Brien MP, Shadow Minister of Health, to the town for a wide ranging discussion on a number of NHS issues that affect health provision locally.
“There is considerable and growing concern about government proposals to centralise GP services into a small number of ‘super surgeries’, also known as ‘polyclinics’. It has been estimated that 1,700 family surgeries are possibly at risk of being closed down across England as result of these proposals.”
Stephen O’Brien maintained: “It is outrageous that the Government is planning to cut GP services, which will potentially lead to people living in Telford, and Shropshire generally, having to travel three times further to see a doctor when they are ill. As 90% of NHS care is administered by GPs, the proposal will hit the most vulnerable the hardest - pensioners, the disabled and those without access to a car.
“These polyclinics will be more impersonal and, worse still, could threaten the continuity of care for patients who would normally deal solely with their family doctor.”
Tom added: “Once again Gordon Brown doesn’t seem to care about the social value of keeping local services that people use - local. Post offices are being closed and now doctors’ surgeries are under threat.
“In contrast, I am campaigning hard to maintain all our vital local services. I totally support local GP’s in their campaign to keep their individual surgeries which provide an excellent personalised service to thousands of patients across the Telford area.
“I am very grateful to Stephen O’Brien for coming to Telford and for also speaking at our well attended Telford Conservative Association cheese and wine evening. ”
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