CREDIT: This story was first seen in theĀ Mirror
Doctor shortages are forcing the closure of a surgery in the constituency of the Tory minister responsible for GPs, Ā theĀ MirrorĀ reports.
Steve Brine MPĀ , hired byĀ Theresa MayĀ as Health Minister in charge of general practice, boasted the NHS was his ‘No one priority’ and told voters he had ‘big ambitions’ around ‘securing greater access to GPs’.
But 7,000 patients in Chandlerās Ford, Hants, have been told in a letter: āThe Brownhill Surgery has informed the NHS they will no longer be able to provide general medical services after November 30.
āThe decision has been taken due to difficulties in the recruitment of GPs as a result of national GP shortages and increasing workload.ā
Patients said Steve Brine had made no contact since the announcement.
Patrick Haywood, 70, a patient for 35 years, said: āWeāre annoyed itās happened on his watch.
“The only thing weāve had is from the NHS, telling us itās closing.ā
Patients fear the knock-on effect on other surgeries, as 7,000 from Brownhill seek a new doctor.
The news came after Health SecretaryĀ Jeremy HuntĀ praised Mr Brine at the Tory conference as āsavvyā and claimed the Government had presided over āone of the biggest ever increasesā in doctors.
The Tories promised in 2015 to hire an extra 5,000 GPs by 2020Ā . But there are 350 fewer GPs than two years ago.
Two weeks ago, Mr Brine claimed the government had made ‘a range of improvements’ to ‘boost recruitment’. He added: āIn 2016 3,019 new starters were recruited.ā
And last night Mr Brine said he had āoffered every support to see the minimum level of disruption to patientsā at the Brownhill surgery.
Labour Shadow Health SecretaryĀ Jonathan AshworthĀ said: āThe government created the crisis and now we find Tory ministers canāt even save their own surgeries.ā
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