Patients encouraged to write letters with questions for proposed closure of Banbury doctors surgery

Officials with the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group with the NHS issued a statement today, Tuesday June 9, on the proposed closure of the Bradley Arcade Surgery in the Bretch Hill area of Banbury.

Oxfordshire County Cllr Mark Cherry, who represents Banbury Ruscote and the Bretch Hill area, received notification of the proposed closure last week, and reached out to the Banbury Guardian with his concerns. He said he hopes to have a 'full consultation' on the issue in an effort to avoid the surgery's closure.

Cllr Cherry also wrote a letter to the North Oxfordshire MP Victoria Prentis seeking her support in an effort to keep the surgery open.

The Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group is the organisation that oversees health services for the people living in Oxfordshire. All GP practices in Oxfordshire are members of the CCG.

Julie Dandridge, head of primary care at the Oxfordshire CCG, said: “The future of the Bradley Arcade branch surgery in Banbury has not yet been formally decided.

"The practice has indicated that it intends to apply to close the branch, and is currently seeking views from its patients on the impact the closure will have on them.

"This is to better understand the implications for patients if the branch surgery were to shut, and to ensure all patient care would be delivered effectively from the main practice site in West Bar Street.

“The GP partners have already met and listened to practice staff and the surgery’s patient participation group.

"Patients are being encouraged to write in to the Windrush surgery if they have any questions around this proposal and to explain how closing the branch surgery might impact on their care.

"Any application submitted on closing the branch surgery will be considered by OCCG, who will also receive a summary of concerns from patients."

While the issue of the surgery's closure is still a proposal some residents received a text message last week saying it would close in the autumn.

The text message said: "Due to significant IT and staffing issues and with the agreement of Oxon CCG (Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group) we will be closing Bradley Arcade Branch surgery from autumn 2020.

"We understand this may cause concern for some patients but Windrush Surgery's vision is to implement new ways of working to provide a more efficient streamlined service."

"If you wish to comment please write to the surgery. Please do not telephone the surgery."

The Bradley Arcade Surgery is a branch surgery for the Windrush Surgery, West Bar Street, Banbury.

The statement from Julie Dandridge with the OCCG added: “The pressure on GP practices running branch surgeries has increased in recent years, with fewer GPs and other health professionals to work in them and fewer resources to pay for them.

"Better use of technology, including video and telephone consultations, has increased nationwide and in Oxfordshire, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic, and has shown how working in different ways is effective and benefits patient care.

“It has also highlighted how running some GP facilities can become financially challenging and prevent valuable resources such as staff being used more effectively. As such, practices need to continuously review the viability of any branch surgery.”

Cllr Cherry has also written an objection letter to the joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) officers with Oxfordshire County Council in regard to the proposed closure on the grounds this process has 'slipped under the radar during the current Covid-19 virus pandemic.'

He also objected on the grounds there has been no due diligence of a public inquiry involving the people of Banbury and the Ruscote area that use the surgery.

He has also asked that the issue go through futher local consultation before the surgery closures.

While researching the closure Cllr Cherry learned the issue of the proposed closure of the surgery maybe discussed at this month's joint HOSC meeting on June 25. He learned the agenda is 'quite rightly' lengthy because the Covid-19 virus pandemic will be discussed.

Banbury Cllr Sean Woodcock, who also represents the Ruscote area, said: "I am incredibly disappointed to hear that Ruscote is losing its GP surgery at Bradley Arcade.

"This is a blow to people in the area who will now need to visit the already overstretched surgeries in the town centre. I will be working over coming months to try and reverse this awful decision."