MEDIA RELEASE - QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED

PATIENTS DEMAND GREATER TRANSPARENCY OVER CLOSURE OF ILKESTON FAMILY PRACTICE AND GP WALK IN CENTRE

As petition to save the centre reaches 3,500 signatories, questions remain unanswered

Organisers of a campaign set up to save the Ilkeston Family Practice and GP Walk In Centre are demanding greater transparency over it’s planned closure, as key questions remain unanswered. Following the announcement on 27 November 2012 that the centre would be closing, two public meetings have been held by NHS Derbyshire, which have been widely criticised by the 200 attendees for the ‘shambolic organisation’ and the refusal to consult with patients. At the moment, it is felt that nobody is listening to the voice of the patients – the people who are going to be affected by this closure.  Even simple questions like a comparison of GP opening hours in 2009 to 2013, remain unanswered, despite claims by NHS Derbyshire that the Centre is no longer needed due to extended opening hours at other surgeries. The fact that more than 200 people attended the meetings, and more than 3,500 people have signed the petition, including Ilkeston-born TV star Robert Lindsay, in just seven weeks, gives a strong indication of the importance of this centre, and the fight to keep it open will continue. The campaign team has now organised two events, including a protest outside NHS Derbyshire offices in Cardinal Square, which will take place on 6 February at 12.00, to coincide with the organisation’s next Board Meeting.  In addition, locals are encouraged to attend a torchlight vigil at 16.00 on 15 February, which will take place outside the Ilkeston Family Practice and GP Walk In Centre, to mark the final day of GP service at the centre. The closure, scheduled for 28 February 2013, was announced by local media on 27 November, with no prior consultation or communication to patients.  With more than 1,500 people registered at the GP Practice, and more than 9,000 appointments held at the Walk In Centre during the last three months, its closure will have a huge impact to Ilkeston and surrounding areas.