Retired doctors oppose Shrewsbury GP hub plan

Dr Rob Park (left) and Dr Peter Bottomley (right) have asked for the scheme to be put on hold

A group of retired GPs have criticised plans for a medical centre which could serve patients from six existing surgeries.

In an open letter, they claim a lack of consultation, raise traffic concerns and ask how people will get to the new hub in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

They also said the existing buildings could be expanded for less money.

Dr Charlotte Hart, the clinical lead for the project, said funding was not available to expand existing surgeries.

She said the GPs raised some interesting points and promised the concerns about the proposed hub would be looked at.

The six surgeries which would move, Claremont Bank, Marysville, South Hermitage, Marden, The Beeches and Belvidere, range between 2.6 miles (4.2km) and 0.8 miles (1.3km) from the favoured site, in Meole Brace.

Liberal Democrat councillors in the town estimate up to 60,000 people could be affected.

The letter, addressed directly to Dr Hart, called the plans a "catastrophic error".

The five GPs, who claim "well over 150 years of combined experience" said the waiting room for the hub would have to be "airport lounge size" to accommodate all the visitors.

One of the signatories, Dr Rob Park, said there had been a "lack of any decent form of consultation" and that Shropshire did not need "experimental" schemes.

Another, Dr Peter Bottomley, said he had "always been a fan of neighbourhood practices" and claimed the "personal touch would be gone forever".

Dr Charlotte Hart said an outline business case would be produced in the autumn

In response, Dr Hart emphasised no final decisions have been made and consultation would being in the autumn.

She said the process had been led by NHS England, which will not fund the expansion of the existing practices and will only make money available for a hub.

Conversations about transport to the hub were taking place with Shropshire Council, she said, and free parking at the hub "was the aim".