GP Practice Receives Eviction Notice, Parliament Informed

An MP has stated that a general practitioner surgery received notice from its landlord to vacate its current location within a few months. Richard Holden, the local Conservative MP, informed Parliament that South Green Surgery, situated in Great Burstead, close to Billericay in Essex, is required to relocate by the conclusion of March. Residents might be transferred to an alternative surgery located 1.6 miles (2.6km) distant, a situation Justine Norris, a patient registered at the practice for 31 years, described as potentially “very difficult” for certain individuals. The NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (MSEICB) indicated that it would assess the effects on patients prior to making any determination regarding the surgery’s definitive closure. Mr. Holden informed Members of Parliament, stating: “South Green Surgery in my constituency has been given notice by its landlord that it has to move by the end of March next year.” He then posed a question to Health Secretary Wes Streeting: “Will the secretary of state meet me to see what we can do to ensure that other facilities can be provided if available, or to do the best for those local patients?” Mr. Streeting responded to Mr. Holden, clarifying that the issue fell under the purview of local NHS management. William Guy, who serves as MSEICB’s director of primary care, stated that South Green Surgery is seeking to merge with The New Surgery and subsequently shut down the South Green Surgery location, citing a “lack of appropriate alternative premises” in the vicinity. Approximately 2,000 individuals have endorsed a petition opposing the closure, as reported by Ms. Norris, who also mentioned the potential construction of several new housing developments locally. The 54-year-old further commented: “There’s only a handful of surgeries in the area and there’s going to be thousands of people trying to get into all of them and we’re already waiting for appointments.” Andy Barnes, a representative for Billericay East on Basildon Borough Council, indicated that the council is collaborating with the NHS, housing developers, and Mr. Holden in an effort to identify a resolution. The Conservative councillor informed BBC Essex: “We might be able to work with developers to facilitate a new surgery being built on one of those new developments, but that’s not going to happen straight away.” He continued: “We have started to explore very early conversations around that but I don’t want to promise people that’s something that will happen before March, when the surgery is due to close.”