Member of Parliament for Macclesfield, David Rutley, has sought confirmation from NHS England that the Schoolhouse Surgery in Disley is not to close. This follows David having received a number of emails from concerned constituents, and becoming aware of growing activity on social media relating to a potential closure of the practice.
David met with Dr Andrew Maurice from the Surgery on Friday 16th October, with Cllr David Kidd, Chairman of Disley Parish Council, to discuss the underlying issues and to see what support could be provided. NHS England confirmed later that evening, in a letter, that the Surgery would not be closing.
Concerns about the surgery’s future were initially raised in a letter on the practice’s website, which indicated that the surgery may have to close. This followed a decision by NHS England to change its current contract to provide NHS services in Disley and the surrounding area, as part of a review of Personal Medical Services Contracts, which is being conducted across England.
David also contacted Jerry Hawker, the Chief Officer of NHS Eastern Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (ECCCG), who has also confirmed that there were no plans to close the Schoolhouse Surgery, and that ECCCG would be working with local GPs, in order to move to a new contract.
Following these reassurances, the Schoolhouse Surgery has posted a new notice on its website, updating local residents and stating that it felt more confident that a satisfactory can be found going forward, following discussions with David, Cllr Kidd, ECCCG and NHS England.
David has commented, “It has been good to see such strong support for the Surgery in the local community, following a difficult few days for everyone involved. I am pleased that Eastern Cheshire CCG and NHS England have moved quickly to confirm that the Surgery will not close, and that there is growing confidence amongst local GPs that a more satisfactory outcome will be reached. I look forward to continuing to work with this much valued surgery in the weeks ahead.”