Lincoln GP surgeries among four to close, 11k patients affected
Two Lincoln GP surgeries are among four to close in the county, it’s been announced today. Arboretum Surgery and Burton Road Surgery, both in Lincoln, Metheringham Surgery and Pottergate Surgery, in Gainsborough, will all close on January 7, 2017. Some 11,000 affected patients are being told they’ll have until January 7 to register with an alternative…
Arboretum Surgery and Burton Road Surgery closed on January 7. Photo: Google
Two Lincoln GP surgeries are among four to close in the county, it’s been announced today.
Arboretum Surgery and Burton Road Surgery, both in Lincoln, Metheringham Surgery and Pottergate Surgery, in Gainsborough, will all close on January 7, 2017.
Some 11,000 affected patients are being told they’ll have until January 7 to register with an alternative practice within 0.2 miles of their current surgery.
As reported previously, Universal Health, which was brought in to manage the four practices in 2015, asked the NHS to take over its contract in July due to financial difficulties.
NHS Lincolnshire West Clinical Commissioning Group had sought to secure a long-term provider to take over the management of the practices.
The CCG said while applications were received and evaluated by an independent evaluation panel, the bids did not meet the minimum criteria for a contract to be awarded for the provision of services.
The Lincolnite was told employers LCHS are hoping staff will not be made redundant, but will find ‘Suitable Alternative Employment elsewhere in the NHS’.
Sarah-Jane Mills, director for service development and delivery at Lincolnshire West CCG, said: “In these regrettable circumstances, we have no alternative but to close the practices.
“But patients must absolutely be assured they have the full support of the CCG to help them choose an alternative practice to register with. Ultimately, it is the patients’ choice.
“There is at least one alternative option at each of the closing practices that is within 0.2 miles of where patients currently are.
“At Arboretum, Burton Road and Pottergate there is one option for each that is within a matter of yards.”
Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) will continue in its caretaker management role at the four practices until January, 2017.
Letters have been sent to patients to invite them to a number of drop-in events close to their respective practice.
Patients have until January 7 to register with a different GP practice. If they can’t do this by that date, the CCG will automatically allocate those patients a surgery on their behalf.
Sarah Newton, chief operating officer at Lincolnshire West CCG, said: “Unfortunately, we were not in a position to offer a contract to any of the bidders.
“Patients are the key priority and we could not risk a repeat of the uncertainty they were in, back in August. And we simply could not be in a position where practices were not financially viable again. It is not fair on patients and it is not fair on staff.”
Arboretum Surgery
For patients at Arboretum Surgery, the following practices are currently accepting new patients: Abbey Medical Practice; Brayford Medical Practice; Glebe Park Surgery; Portland Medical Practice; Witham Medical Practice and University Health Centre.
There will be two drop-in sessions for Arboretum patients on Friday, December 2, between 4pm and 6pm, at the Abbey Access Centre in Arboretum Lodge, Monks Road, and at the same venue on Tuesday, December 6, between 10am and 12 noon.
Burton Road Surgery
For patients at Burton Road Surgery, the following practices are currently accepting new patients: Cliff House Medical Centre; Glebe Park Surgery; Lindum Medical Practice and Minster Medical Practice.
There will be two drop-in sessions for Burton Road patients on Thursday, December 1, between 4pm and 6pm at Burton Road Methodist Church and at the same venue on Monday, December 5, between 10am and 12 noon.
Metheringham Surgery
For patients at Metheringham Surgery, the following practices are currently accepting new patients: Church Walk Surgery in Metheringham and Tasburgh Lodge, Woodhall Spa.
There will be drop-in sessions for Metheringham Surgery patients on Friday, December 2, between 10am and 12 noon at St Wilfrid’s Church Hall in the village and at the same venue on Tuesday, December 6 between 4pm and 6pm.
Pottergate Surgery
For patients at Pottergate Surgery, the following practices are currently accepting new patients: Cleveland Medical Practice and Caskgate Street Surgery.
There will be drop-in sessions for Pottergate patients on Thursday, December 1, between 10am and 12 noon at Trentside Unit, John Coupland Hospital and at the same venue on Monday, December 5, between 4pm and 6pm.
Patients can contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0845 602 4384 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. PALS provides confidential advice and support to patients, carers and relatives and can help with providing information about other surgeries people can register with.
They can also call the CCG helpline on 01522 515380, between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
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A local man was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and dangerous driving after two pedestrians were injured in a collision with a car and three parked vehicles in Skegness.
Lincolnshire Police officers attended the scene after the collision between a blue Citroen Berlingo, the parked vehicles, and a man and a woman, who are both in their 60s, on Winthorpe Avenue shortly before 7pm on Friday, April 16.
The two pedestrians suffered serious injuries and were taken to hospital. However, their injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
A 63-year-old local man, who was driving the Berlingo, was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and dangerous driving. He has since been released under investigation.
Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage and anyone with information should contact them on 101 or via email at [email protected] quoting incident number 389 of April 16.
Few people attended the second Kill the Bill protest in Lincoln on Saturday, as Extinction Rebellion activists stood alone on the High Street to campaign against a proposed policing bill that could make many protests illegal.
Activists from Extinction Rebellion Lincolnshire gathered at Speakers’ Corner to oppose plans for the latest Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which could curtail protesting rights if passed through parliament.
Extinction Rebellion were the main representatives at the protest. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Under the proposed bill, police officers will be given greater powers to put a stop to any protests, as well as determining start and finish times for them, and controlling noise levels.
A few stopped to talk with the protestors, but most just went about their day walking down Lincoln High Street in the first weekend that non-essential shops and beer gardens reopened.
The Lincolnite spoke to one of the rebels at the protest, to find out the reasons behind the march.
They said: “This draconian bill cannot go ahead, it needs to be taken apart and re-evaluted completely.
“People have been walking past us shaking their heads, but they don’t realise that it’s their freedom we are fighting for.”
The Lincolnite photographer Steve Smailes captured some pictures from the protest.
Signs were put up by the works at Speakers’ Corner on Lincoln High Street. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
A 19-year-old man is in hospital with serious injuries after a crash on the A52 on Friday evening.
The single-vehicle crash, involving a white Suzuki Splash, happened in the westbound lane of the A52 between Barrowby and Sedgebrook at around 7.20pm on Friday, April 16.
The driver of the car is now in hospital after suffering serious injuries, and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Officers believe the driver had travelled from Grantham on the A52 at Barrowby before the crash.
Anyone who has dashcam footage or saw the vehicle before the incident is being asked to call 101, quoting incident 420 of April 16.
Alternatively, you can email [email protected], using the same reference in the subject box.
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