Mansfield GP Surgery at '˜high risk' of closure

Oak Tree Lane Surgery has now reduced the times patients will be able to receive treatment.

The practice, on Jubilee Way South, will only be open Monday and Wednesday mornings.

Patients are now being encouraged to use its sister practice Rosemary Street Health Centre, Mansfield, which is also part of Forest Medical Group.

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A spokesman for Oak Tree Lane Surgery said: “From September, 1, The Oak Tree Lane Surgery, will offer GP appointments from 8am to noon on Mondays and Wednesdays.

“Reception services will be available from 8am to 6:30pm on Mondays and Wednesdays .

“Local patients of the surgery and those who may have difficulty in reaching Rosemary Street Health Centre or other surgeries, will be given priority when allocating appointments at Oak Tree Lane.

“Travel information regarding how to reach Rosemary Street Health Centre is available for Oak Tree Lane patients from staff at the surgery.

“There are currently no plans for Oak Tree Lane surgery to close.

“Oak Tree Lane surgery is proud of its overall ‘good’ CQC rating and hopes to continue to resume full working hours as soon as the necessary GP support is in place.”

Oak Tree Surgery and Rosemary Street Health Centre merged into one collective surgery in 2014.

Nicola Ryan, Practice Manager, in a letter to patients posted on the surgeries website said: “A record number of GP practices closed last year, forcing thousands of patients to find a new surgery, in spite of government attempts to stop local doctors shutting their doors.

“When Rosemary Street Health Centre and Oak Tree Lane Surgery merged in 2014 there were four GP Partners, three full-time salaried GPs and an abundance of registrars.

“Due to the patient list size increase at about 70 patients per month, and the decrease in GPs from seven in 2014 to three whole-time equivalent at the present time, there is no longer the GP capacity to cover both sites.

“The present GPs have been struggling to keep both sites open since Dr Ghosh retired in January 2014 and Dr Primorac left in October 2015.

“We have recently been hit even harder as three of our salaried GPs have also resigned.

“We have successfully appointed Dr Stephanie Hill for two days a week and Dr Kathryn Lovett for one day a week.

“However, the failure to recruit to all the vacant posts is not due to lack of attempts made by the practice, it is due to the national crisis in GP recruitment which has been ongoing for the past four years.

“Unless we are up to our optimum for GPs by September, the risk of closing Oak Tree Lane surgery is very high.

“To try to reduce this risk, drastic changes must take place now while we continue to attempt the recruitment of more GPs.”

Forest Medical received an overall ‘good’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), for their two practices.

The CQC regulate and inspect health and social care services.

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