Portsmouth campaigners urge health bosses to restore GPs to John Pounds Medical Centre in Portsea

John Pounds Medical Centre closed just before the pandemic after it merged with Lake Road Practice and although some nursing services have returned, the lack of doctors has prompted concerns about the lack of provision in the area.

‘People with disabilities face real difficulties in having to go to Lake Road to see their GP,’ John Thurston of Portsea Action Group said. ‘Some people will need to go several times a week and that can be a real expense in terms of taxi fares.

‘This has been going on for two years. People in Portsea need to be able to access a GP.’

The surgery reopened in January last year staffed by a receptionist to arrange the delivery of prescriptions.

In July, nursing staff returned to offer support for people with long-term health conditions and to carry out health checks, cervical screening and urgent blood tests. However, there is still no GP or full-time clinician based at the surgery.

Portsea Action Group has collected a petition, signed almost 500 times, urging the NHS and Portsmouth City Council to step up their efforts to complete the reopening.

‘The surgery was built for the people of Portsea to meet their health needs,’ its chairwoman Brenda Tregarthen said. 'Not having access to it for two years is totally unfair on the people who fought for so long for it.’

The petition has been handed to the deputy leader of the Labour group, councillor Cal Corkery, who echoed their concerns about the length of time being taken to resume GP services.

‘This has been going on for too long and we've never been able to really pin down what the issues are,’ Cllr Corkery said. ‘The communication has been really poor.’

Portsmouth CCG said progress was being made although it was dependent on the agreement of a new lease. Under the existing arrangement, the surgery is a subtenant of NHS Property Services.

This only allows the partial use of the building and has prompted negotiations for a direct 10-year lease from Portsmouth City Council. It said these were ongoing but that it was hoped they would be concluded 'soon'.

‘The John Pounds Medical Centre remains open and staff both here and at Lake Road have worked extremely hard during the pandemic to ensure patients receive the care they need as quickly as possible, online, over the telephone and face-to-face.’ CCG clinical executive Dr Linda Collie said.

'We are supporting the practice in its work with the city council to renew their lease for the medical centre which will enable the return of more clinical services to that location.’