One feels obliged to respond to the rather vicious and clearly self interested letter (January 26) concerning Beechfield Medical Practice and its intended half day “training” closures.
By the content and style of the rather basic “rant”, it is apparent that the writer has some connection and self interest with the surgery given the bias views expressed. Such a pity.
The key issue in this matter is that, as we all know, the NHS is currently under significant pressure to provide an all round service, including our doctor surgeries.
Our Prime Minister has recently expressed a view that surgeries should be open seven days a week, yet here we have the opposite of even less opening, rather than more.
As for the writer’s suggestion of leaving the practice if one is unhappy, one should learn to understand that all surgeries are publically funded and as such they are accountable to the ultimate financier, ie the taxpayer. It is not, therefore, appropriate or even acceptable that the writer should suggest unhappy patients leave. In fact, it’s more about ensuring that cavalier closures once every month are simply not allowed to happen.
Indeed as the writer admits, it is the regulatory body in the CQC that demands that every NHS provision performs to a set standard or even above. Clearly closing for a full half day at such a time of demand is not in that spirit.
For the sake of interest, two of the proposed closures periods immediately follow a public Bank Holiday, a given period when demand is even higher yet the writer seems to consider that providing a service even at times of increased demand is not a taxpayer’s given expectation or right.
Come on Beechfield Surgery, please think again, at least about closing immediately after a Bank Holiday.
