Over 4,500 people living in Brading and Lake look set to lose their local GP surgery in just 6 months’ time, it has been announced.
The Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has received formal notification that the GPs at Brading’s only practice are to hand back their contract to provide primary care services in the town and at the branch surgery in Lake.
The move by the partners at Beech Grove Surgery – located at The Mall, Brading and High Street, Lake – means that alternative provision will need to be found for their 4,592 registered patients by the start of April 2020.
The GPs have given the required 6-month notification that they plan to return their contract.
The CCG is now planning an options appraisal to ensure that all patients registered at the practice get continued access to a full range of primary care services.
Alison Smith, the CCG’s Managing Director, has said:
“Services are due to continue as usual at Brading and Lake until the end of March 2020, and patients will still be able to see the same GPs and staff in the meantime and the most important thing is that registered patients continue to use their local GP practice either at Beech Grove and Lake, there is no need to change and we ask patients to ‘do nothing’ until they hear further from us.
“Services are due to continue as usual at Brading and Lake until the end of March 2020, and patients will still be able to see the same GPs and staff in the meantime.
Article continues below this advertisement “The CCG is writing to the head of household of every patient registered at the practice to inform them about the news, which we fully understand and recognise will come as shock and disappointment to many, especially as Beech Grove and its branch in Lake are both highly-regarded by their patients.
“Its services are rated as good by the independent Care Quality Commission. The CCG will be working very closely with the practice in the coming months ahead, to ensure a smooth transition.
“We are exploring the available opportunities and will complete an options appraisal will need to take into realistic consideration the national issues faced by many practices in the country, including several on the Island, about the issues of GP recruitment and retention.
“We have already started conversations with neighbouring GP practices, and we will write again to all Beech Grove patients when a decision is taken on the options appraisal. This will hopefully be in a few weeks’ time.
Alison has continued:
“This news has been extremely upsetting for the staff at the Brading practice, Island practitioners and patients and we would ask that the team at the Brading practice are allowed to focus on continuing their day-to-day role of keeping their practice running as efficiently as ever.
“The CCG has been informed that the two GPs who run the practice, are struggling to maintain their high standards of care with growing demands and limited capacity. This is a disappointing decision but one which we understand, and one which reflects some of the pressures nationally on primary care services.”
After the CCG has made its decision on the way forward, it is planning to set up public meetings in Brading for patients to learn of the next steps.
A drop-in session is also planned in the next fortnight so patients can ask questions and raise issues which will be used to inform the options appraisal.
The message from the IOWCCG is ‘please bear with us’.
Wasn’t the Islandecho cheering on Mr Bob sealy for a good job well done in parliament this week for actively highlighting the current issues we face on the Isle of Wight regarding NHS care.
And today we read that 4,500 residents in Brading and Lake are to lose a valuable local GP surgery.
Well done Bob, good job !
When I think of the splendid service given in the past by Drs. Jane and Peter Brand who were real family Doctors I am so sad that it has come to this. Brading people are being dealt a harsh blow, I know times change, but in this case not for the better.
That would be Dr Brand who told my wife without IVF treatment she would never had children, despite being 3 months pregnant at the time! Its been on the cards for a while, no great loss to be fair!
Exactly another great job Bob messed up again!
Would liked to have known this sooner
This is madness! And the council are allowing another 450 homes in Ryde to be built. Where are all the GPs going to come from to service these poor people and the occupants of these new homes?!
Yes, and another 165 homes in East Cowes on the Crossways field next to the increasing building site of Hawthorne Meadows. The island can’t continue the way it’s going, It’s all about money, quality of life for island residents is clearly at the bottom of the priority list. It’s so sad.
Some days there are no GPs on duty in the surgery and all we have is a Nurse Practitioner on. You hardly ever get the husband and wife duo on together and every holiday period they suddenly disappear back to India. Even on the website for the surgery it states they do work at the hospital no wonder the surgery is going to close. It has never been the same since Dr Loach left, perhaps he knew it was a sinking ship.
Although I have every sympathy for the all the people losing their surgery please please don’t underestimate the nurse practitioners they do a brilliant job and the country couldn’t manage without them.
Yes of course they do and in a lot of illnesses work
Very well but if they have a problem they ask a Doctor
In the practice .
So although very good they are not GPs and do not have
The same training it just means that they can write prescriptions
And help with some of our illnesses but not all.
The nurse practitioner is clueless at brading
They are entitled to a holiday, come on, they are amazing doctors
And thank god Dr Akundi was working at the Hospital the day my daughter attended the lower limb clinic. He saved her life by diagnosing a clot that five other Dr,s had missed. Nurse Practitioners are doing a grand job too.
this ship has been sinking for many a year, done well to last this long!
Well spoken Colin is it bob should be blooby the clown
Thank you Old bean. This is absolutely shocking news. And they are building new homes all over the island. It’s a disgrace.
More people using surgeries that are already fully booked with patients!
There’s more people living here not less !!!! I have a good relationship with my Doctor at Brading !!! I’m not ready to lose her expertise. Been at this practice since 2000. Absolutely ridiculous
Agree Both Dr’s Brand were like really nice, caring, listening doctors. Served me and my family for years. These two at Brading now, have little interest in the patients and not sorry to see ‘them’ go, but very, very sorry to see Brading’s practice go.
God only knows where all the extra people will find services now, with all the huge expansion of Ryde and most complaining that ‘their’ Doctors are full, and you have to give days to get an appointment, one really wonders if all the cheap, imported labour, really had worked out ‘cheap’ Some things in life are more important than money, with health being the obvious one.
I think the two doctors have done an amazing job keeping things going for so long since Richard Loach deserted them.
With the completion of Ryde Village for the over 65’s needing care and now Brading losing their doctors, possible loss of two other Ryde doctors surgery’s,, 1300 new homes at Camp Hill. What is going on between the C.G and the Planning department?
I have been with this practise for more years than I care to remember and I can’t believe this decision has been taken lightly The pressures and rules imposed on doctors today mean that we are fortunate to have a health service at all.
I know several doctors who feel so constrained by the system imposed on them that they just want to get out and we are not encouraging new younger replacements. I’m almost pleased that my time is shortening but I feel sorry for the rest of the community who are going to have to live with the consequences of poor decisions made by several governments over a priod of years. Being looked after from the “cradle to the grave” is no longer feasible.
Very sad news. Always pleased with the doctors and nurses at Lake and Brading.
Very Worrying News & very sad this is my doctors Come back Dr Loach This practice Needs you. He was great & a big loss to the practice
As a patient,who has been with the Lake surgery for over 30 years, it would have been nice to hear the news from the practice and not have to read it on Island News! I think that loyalty should go both ways.
Nurse practitioner at beech grove is brilliant if it was not for him I would not have had several appointments due to my problems because I could not get to see a doctor. Will be missed very much
Surely the contract will go out to another bidder?
There is six months for a replacement?
Can someone clarify these options?
As false accusations, and rumour is causing for some, anxiety.
Especially if you are a patient of this practice!
And they want to build more houses on the island
Having moved here last year i was told Sandown medical centre would not be taking on new patients hence i was referred to the lake beech grove surgery. Will this mean i have to now go to st Mary’s hospital a and e with any minor problems. Not a good solution surely.
Such a shame the surgery is closing they have looked after my family extremely well for many years. I would like to thank all the staff and Doctors for their excellent care over the years and wish them all well for the future.
Stephen Good
Can’t wait for the extra 10,000 houses to be built on the island!
All the infrastructure is here for them : Dentists – Doctors – Schools – Police
Ha Ha