Formby residents please attend the meetings if you wish GP services to remain in Freshfield

Formby residents please attend the meetings if you wish GP services to remain in Freshfield. First meeting is this Tuesday 11th April in the afternoon and evenings.

Patients at Freshfield Surgery have now received letters from NHS England regarding the future of the surgery.

The letter entitled Freshfield Surgery Listening Exercise provides details of a series of 8 meetings to be held at The Gild Hall in Formby.

There is a need to register to attend any of the meetings and this can be done at www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/nhs-england-13198312969 or by Freephone on 0800 044 8169.

The dates & times are:

11th April - 1-3pm and 3:30pm to 5.30pm and also 6:30pm-8:30pm

20th April - 10am to 12noon and 1pm to 3pm

25th April - 12noon to 2pm and 3pm to 5pm and also 6:30pm to 8:30pm

Only Freshfield Surgery patients have received invitations, but the meetings are open to all.

NHS England state that they have not yet made a decision regarding the future provision of GP services at Freshfield Surgery. They say that they are committed to considering all options and no decision would be taken without considering the views of registered patients and wider stakeholders.

So it is important that Formby residents do attend and express their concerns if they wish GP services to remain in Freshfield.

If patients cannot attend the meetings they can leave their views in the following ways.

E-mail: Freshfieldpractice@H2A.Global

Twitter: @Freshfieldgp1

Freephone 0800 044 8169

Martin Hough from Ryders chemist said: "Freshfield Surgery is under threat. If you value the surgery, please take action to make sure that you keep it. The surgery plays a vital role in the provision of healthcare to our community and we must keep it at its present site as ease of access is especially important to our elderly residents.”

Martin started a petition 4 weeks ago which states:

We, the undersigned, request that Freshfield Surgery remains open as a fully-functioning GP surgery. We believe that the surgery plays a vital role in the provision of healthcare to our community & that ease of access is especially important to our elderly residents. We request that GP services will still be available beyond December 2017 at its current site to provide healthcare to residents of Freshfield.

To date it has attracted nearly 1,400 signatures (349 on-line and 1050 on paper). This petition will be delivered to Mr Anthony Leo - NHS Commissioning Director (Merseyside & Cheshire).

It is hoped that the strength of feeling and sheer number of supporters will influence NHS England's decision-making process and also make them consider the full extent of the damage to local healthcare provision that a surgery closure would cause.

You can still sign the petition to help Martin with this campaign to keep the surgery open

CLICK HERE to sign the petition