New Rugby surgery confirmed - but not until 2018 - The Rugby Observer

New Rugby surgery confirmed - but not until 2018

Rugby Editorial 8th Dec, 2016   0

A NEW surgery for Brownsover has finally been confirmed by health bosses after an 18 month wait.

But the new centre will not open until at least 2018 – two years behind the original schedule.

Around 10,000 Brownsover residents have had to resort to other surgeries after their local practice closed in April 2015 due to disagreements between the NHS and the medical staff operating it.

Having initially said it would open this year, plans for the new surgery in Bow Fell were finally approved by NHS England last week.




David Williams, Director of Commissioning for NHS England (West Midlands) said: “Over the next five years, NHS England is investing and developing support to general practice which includes making better use of technologies, expansion of the workforce and better premises.”

“We are committed to ensuring that our local communities have access to local, good quality, GP services.”


Dr Adrian Canale-Parola, Chair of NHS Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group, said it was an important milestone that the community would welcome.

He said: “It is something that as a CCG we fully support and we will continue to work with all parties to ensure these much-needed facilities are delivered as soon as possible.”

Work will now start on the development of detailed plans for the completion of the Full Business Case for the GP practice.

The Brownsover Patient Action Group welcomed the announcement but was sceptical as to when the surgery would be up-and-running.

Spokesman Jake Stevenson said: “We have little confidence that NHS England have the ability or the will to catch up on their timescale, and the impact of this will only be on the residents and patients of Brownsover.

“They are already two months behind the revised timetable they issued earlier this year. December should be the milestone for Final Business Case Approval, yet meetings around design, layout and appearance are not scheduled until February 2017.

“We also repeat our call for David Williams to honour his promise to stand in front of residents and patients and explain why this process is taking so long, and why the lease negotiations for the temporary practice on the estate have taken over 12 months to date.”

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