MP SUPPORTS PATIENTS MARCHING FOR CHOICE IN KINGSTON

11.45.58am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 26th Jun 2009

Susan Kramer, MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston is supporting a campaign by local residents to allow the Churchill Medical Centre to open its surgery in Tudor to NHS patients.

A new branch surgery, built in July 2008 by award-winning local NHS practice Churchill Medical Centre to serve its 1500 patients in Tudor ward is being prevented from opening by Kingston PCT to restrict choice for our patients and to protect an existing private GP provider from possible competition.

Susan Kramer MP will join residents in Tudor Ward, Kingston for a protest march on 27th June 2009 to deliver a petition of signatures of over 800 local people demanding that a branch surgery built and equipped for them last year should be allowed to open.

The local Primary Care Trust, NHS Kingston had raised no objections to the opening of the surgery, and had allowed the doctors from Churchill Medical Centre to build and equip it at their own expense, without any extra resource to NHS funds before denying them the right to see NHS patients just as it was due to open. It has been standing empty and ready to accept patients since completion in August 2008.

Churchill Medical Centre has served patients in Kingston upon Thames since 1919. It is nationally renowned for its innovations in serving patients' needs, including the pioneering of extended opening hours and free NCT antenatal classes for all the community not only its own patients. It is soon to become one of the first established NHS practices to open for 7 days a week.

The Churchill Medical Centre is one of only 2% of General Practices in England that has received the prestigious Quality Practice Award from the Royal College of General Practitioners. This is an award only given to practices that have attained the highest possible quality in the delivery of care to patients.

Grace Edwards, a Tudor Ward resident said: "We want the right to be seen at the surgery, which has been lying empty since last year. The PCT should let us have the choice it talks about. Nothing should come before the needs of local people, especially as the opening of this surgery will not cost the NHS an extra penny. The PCT is saying - you can have a choice - but only the choice I decide is good for you."

Susan Kramer, MP said: "The people of Ham and Tudor ward do not have easy access to general practice. We need more surgeries, not fewer. This branch is built and ready to serve local people. It should be allowed to open to give them the choice they deserve. "

Dr Smith of Churchill Medical Centre said "we built the surgery to serve our own patients having taken the PCT's words on trust. It now says we are not allowed to serve them. What happened to patient choice?

Churchill Medical Centre was asked by the PCT because of its high quality reputation and proximity to look after an existing practice in Tudor Drive when the doctors there were suspended. The GP there was removed from the medical register by the GMC in June 2009.

Churchill Medical Centre is one of the largest practices in Kingston. Its main surgery is 1.25 miles away. It has around 1500 patients in the area who have given overwhelming support to the opening of the surgery in a recent consultation.

The surgery would also be serving Churchill Medical Centre's patient in Ham who do not have access to public transport. The PCT claims there are 7 practices within a mile, which is incorrect as the distance to travel is 1.25 miles.

The PCT knew of this development since December 2007 and raised no objections to its opening until it was built and about to open in July 2008.

Please contact Grace Edwards, march organiser on 0208 287 0117 for further details.