Gosport surgery announces it will only open two days a week due lack of GPs

Stoke Road Medical Centre, which is part of The Willow Group, will be closed on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays from March 2 due to GP sickness which has reduced the workforce.

Bosses said the decision was taken for ‘patient and clinician’ safety.

Head of operations for Fareham and Gosport at Southern Health Sarah McLaughlin told The News: ‘This isn’t a decision anyone wanted to make but is one we have taken in order to protect our patients and our clinicians.

‘There will be no reduction in the number of appointments as we are taking on long-term locums and we have three other sites that our patients can and do visit.

A letter was sent to patients to explain the changes.

It read: ‘Sadly, due to unforeseen circumstances, we have now experienced a further reduction in our GP workforce at Stoke Road surgery and it is currently no longer possible to continue running the service five days per week.

‘As a result we have made the difficult decision to close our Stoke Road branch on a Monday, Thursday and Friday, effective from March 2. On these days, all patients will continue to have full access to the Willow Group via phone, email and e-consult, as well as being able to attend face-to-face appointments at all of our other sites.

‘Our commissioners and fellow primary care colleagues in surgeries across Gosport recognise this is a result of the continuing problems around GP recruitment and retention in the area that affects us all.

‘This is a major issue nationally, but has hit our town particularly hard, not just the Willow Group.’

Ms McLaughlin added: ‘I think we would all love to offer our patients what they want and when they want but in reality that is just not going to happen because of the problems with recruitment that we have in Gosport.

‘I hope that people realise that this is not the staff’s fault and if you had asked me six months ago if I thought this would happen I would say no. Everyone here has worked really hard in the last few years but we have done this for the safety of everyone.’

The decision was approved by the Fareham and Gosport CCG.

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