Town's health service in danger of total collapse - claim
Thursday, 29th November 2012.
The primary health service in Haverhill would collapse altogether if the town were to lose just a couple of doctors from the current practices, Haverhill Town Councillors were told on Tuesday night.
Town clerk Will Austin was reporting to Haverhill Town Council on a meeting of the its healthcare working group, at which a practice manager in the town, who he did not identfy, made the claim.
Mr Austin said the healthcare professionals at the meeting were unclear where to go to accommodate the influx of patients which was being caused by the closure of the Crown Health Centre.
However, they claimed they were meeting the statutory requirement of giving patients an appointment within 48 hours, if they asked for it.
Mr Austin said he and other members had heard from patients that this was not always the case, so they would be trying to elicit further statistics on the issue.
The body which closed the Crown Health Centre, NHS Suffolk, comes to an end in April to be replaced by the West Suffolk Health Partnership, whose boss Dr Ed garrett is consulting already about the situation in Haverhill.
However Mr Austin said he was intending to consult through ONE Haverhill, although he recognised the town council and its healthcare working group would need to have a say.
Cllr Bryan Hawes said they should ensure Dr garrett spoke to GPs and practice managers.
Cllr Roger Andre said they should tell Dr Garrett ONE Haverhill was not the right vehicle for the consultation at present because it aws involved in so many other consultations and would just confuse the public.
Healthcare was not one of ONE Haverhill's two main stated priorities, he said, whereas the healthcare working group was dedicated to that one issue.
Cllr Maureen Byrne said her main concern was that the consultation should not rely on on-line surveys, because thousands of residents in Haverhill were not online or familiar with IT.
Town clerk Will Austin was reporting to Haverhill Town Council on a meeting of the its healthcare working group, at which a practice manager in the town, who he did not identfy, made the claim.
Mr Austin said the healthcare professionals at the meeting were unclear where to go to accommodate the influx of patients which was being caused by the closure of the Crown Health Centre.
However, they claimed they were meeting the statutory requirement of giving patients an appointment within 48 hours, if they asked for it.
Mr Austin said he and other members had heard from patients that this was not always the case, so they would be trying to elicit further statistics on the issue.
The body which closed the Crown Health Centre, NHS Suffolk, comes to an end in April to be replaced by the West Suffolk Health Partnership, whose boss Dr Ed garrett is consulting already about the situation in Haverhill.
However Mr Austin said he was intending to consult through ONE Haverhill, although he recognised the town council and its healthcare working group would need to have a say.
Cllr Bryan Hawes said they should ensure Dr garrett spoke to GPs and practice managers.
Cllr Roger Andre said they should tell Dr Garrett ONE Haverhill was not the right vehicle for the consultation at present because it aws involved in so many other consultations and would just confuse the public.
Healthcare was not one of ONE Haverhill's two main stated priorities, he said, whereas the healthcare working group was dedicated to that one issue.
Cllr Maureen Byrne said her main concern was that the consultation should not rely on on-line surveys, because thousands of residents in Haverhill were not online or familiar with IT.
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