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Plea for change after tragic death of grandad

Thursday, 22nd March 2001.

A SERIES of tragic events lead to the death of a man after he went to the doctor for treatment.
Ninety-year-old Arthur Jennings attended an emergency surgery at the Christmas Maltings Surgery last Thursday because his shingles had caused a black eye.
His granddaughter, Michelle Carnes, 33, said it was more than an hour before a doctor could see him, and during the time he had been sitting down the circulation in his legs slowed.
When Mr Jennings, of Chapple Drive, Haverhill, finally stood up to move to see the doctor he fell over, breaking a hip.
He was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital and had to undergo a hip replacement operation on Friday.
By Sunday, he had gone into shock and developed problems and he died on Monday morning.
Ms Carnes said: "I'm not having a go at the doctors, I'm registered there and I don't have a problem with them.
"It's the system. I would like them to change the emergency system ­ maybe let older people and children be seen first. I would not mind if old people and children took priority over my cold.
"The hospital said if he had not been sitting there for an hour the circulation would not have gone and he would not have fallen over."
Eileen White, the deputy practice manager at Christmas Maltings, said: "We have tried different ways of reorganising our surgeries to see as many people as possible, but there's just far too many patients to see for the amount of doctors we have.
"They are booked in on to the computer as they arrive and the doctors just have a list of names and call the next person. It is not ideal, but it is the best system so far."
She went on to explain that doctors' surgeries were all full in the area and she could only think of one that was taking on new patients. Christmas Maltings' four doctors already care for 10,000 people.
Ms White said; "When you think about it, we are building all these new houses but we still only have two dentists and it's impossible to get an optician's appointment. There are too many people in the area."

Haverhill Weekly News

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