Plans for second town GP surgery put on hold

The existing Latham House practice has 35,905 registered patients

NHS bosses have paused plans to set up a second GP practice in Melton Mowbray.

The growing town currently has one surgery, Latham House, which has almost 36,000 patients.

The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB) began working with Melton Borough Council on proposals for a new surgery in 2022.

However, the ICB has now said it does not have funding for the scheme and has put it on hold until February 2027.

The council and the ICB had been exploring finding premises for the second practice in unoccupied space at either the authority's Parkside headquarters, or its Phoenix House community support hub in Nottingham Road.

Melton residents had raised concerns about current waiting times for appointments and fears about the impact of more homes set to be built around the town.

'No viable financial option'

Council leader Pip Allnatt said he was "extremely disappointed" at the ICB decision.

"There is huge pressure on the existing town surgery and we have been working very hard to get a second practice," he added.

"February 2027 is a long time to wait for this process to restart.

"It's too long. We can't have our property sitting empty. While we wanted to see if it was possible to use council property to host a new practice, it now seems there is no viable financial option.

"Unless more money is put on the table from somewhere, there won't be the new surgery that the town really needs."

Labour leader Allnatt said he had written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting requesting extra money, but said he had received a "holding response" with no commitment on funding.

The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment.

The ICB said it did not receive funding to set up new practices and relied on Section 106 cash, which are funds provided by developers, via councils, to mitigate the impact of new house building.

Allnatt said the majority of Section 106 funding went to Leicestershire County Council for road schemes and the building of new schools rather than healthcare.

He said that resulted from a deal done between the borough and county councils before he was elected, and which he hoped would be renegotiated.

Reform UK Leicestershire County Council leader Dan Harrison said the responsibility for prioritising Section 106 money lay "solely" with the borough.

"This is his job, not ours – it's that simple," Harrison said.

"If something is our fault, we'll hold our hands up, but if not, we'll robustly defend our position."

In response, Allnatt said: "It is not our decision alone. He's right in the sense an arrangement had been agreed.

"However, the county council has the whip hand [in deciding how the money is spent]."

The ICB's chief strategy officer, Pete Burnett, said: "We are committed to continuing to work with Melton Borough Council to explore options for a second primary care site for Melton residents, when guaranteed funding and suitable, affordable premises are identified.

"We are working with the current GP practice in Melton to extend the support it can provide to local residents, which includes a new digital suite at the [practice's] main site and an approved redevelopment of a property owned by the practice on Sherrard Street to extend clinical services."

Latham House did not wish to comment.