Residents sent notification of closure of Banbury doctor's surgery

Notifications of the closure of the Bradley Arcade Surgery in the Bretch Hill area of Banbury were sent out to residents this week.

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

He received the following text message this week notifying him of the proposed closure.

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."

Bradley Arcade Surgery is in Prescott Avenue on the Bretch Hill estate.

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

Cllr Cherry said: "I have written an objection letter to the joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) officers and chair to the proposed closure of Bradley Arcade surgery on Bretch Hill 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 Ruscote 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 Bradley Arcade GP surgery maybe discussed at this month's joint Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee (HOSC) meeting on June 25. He learned the agenda is 'quite rightly' lengthy because of the Covid-19 virus pandemic will be discussed.

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."

A request for comment to the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group with the NHS has not been returned yet.