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MP's plans for medical centre
BROXTOWE MP Nick Palmer is pushing for Kimberley Medical centre to be used as a branch of a larger local surgery in the hope it will help to keep it open.
Dr Palmer and Kimberley councillor Richard Robinson say the plan would be a good compromise between patients and health chiefs, providing Nottinghamshire Primary Care Trust stuck to three new conditions.
They want bosses to promise to keep the surgery open five days a week, employ current staff and run it on a guaranteed three-year contract.
The surgery's doctor, Ramish Sandhu is retiring on March 31 and the PCT has told the patients there are three options to consider.
Option one would close the surgery, forcing patients to re-register elsewhere.
Option two would see the surgery being run as a local branch of another practice – a plan Dr Palmer thinks would become acceptable if the PCT agree to his caveats.
Option three would lead to the practice being put out to tender nationally.
The trust says it favours option one, but furious patients determined to keep the practice open are in unanimous agreement for option three, worried that option two will mean a part-time surgery.
Dr Palmer said: "I don't see option two as acceptable as it stands, but if we put these conditions on top then it changes things.
"I've spoken to the staff and they say this would be a reasonable outcome and I spoke to PCT members last week who promised to explore whether this would be acceptable.
"It's a good compromise because it would cover the PCT's worries about having a one-doctor practice and we get to keep a second surgery in Kimberley.
"The only difference to option three is that behind the scenes there's a link to another practice.
"I'm trying to avoid a car crash where the PCT rams through its preference over the objections of the local people."
Chaos errupted at a second public meeting about the future of the practice last Friday.
Patients packed into Nottingham West Outreach Church to hear PCT board members talk through the three options and the pros and cons of each one for a second time.
Patients say it is a 'done deal' and the PCT want patients to register elsewhere so it can close the surgery to save money.
Dr Palmer received a loud applause at the meeting as he stood up and said: "With all due respect, the PCT has presented it as a done deal."
Angry patients told the PCT they are heading for a judicial review and Kimberley Town Council handed over a petition containing 2,000 patient signatures.
They have also set up a Patients Support Group to fight for the surgery to stay open with members asking for residents to send their concerns to kimberleyclinicppg@hotmail.co.uk.
A PCT spokesperson said: "We will look in to the feasibility of Mr Palmer's suggestion.
"We are happy to look in to it as a possibility."
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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