Hungerford Surgery responds to councillor's 'untenable' warning

FEARS have been expressed that a GP shortage could render Hungerford Surgery unable to operate safely.

But practice management has assured patients that its staffing problem is being tackled.

Town councillor Nick Schlanker raised the issue at a full town council meeting on Monday (February 7).

He warned that a GP shortage at the facility "could be a serious problem".

Mr Schlanker added that the surgery was currently operating at two thirds capacity and expressed concern that the situation could become "untenable," and even "clinically unsafe".

There is a nationwide GP shortage and Hungerford Surgery is no exception.

Dr Helen Walters left last September and Dr Rachel Rowe is due to leave in May.

The practice has conceded on its website that the situation "will be very difficult for the practice to sustain" and that the local primary care Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) had been approached for support.

In a joint statement this week, practice manager Mike Hall and senior GP partner Dr Niti Sodhi, told the Newbury Weekly News: "We’ve been made aware of some concerns regarding Hungerford Surgery becoming 'untenable' as it was operating at two thirds capacity.

"We would like to reassure our patients that, while we are short of GPs, we're doing everything we can to sustain the practice through this difficult period.

"We're very pleased that the two new additional roles - first contact physiotherapist and mental health practitioner - have embedded very well into the surgery team and are hugely helping with the clinical workload.

"Our administrative team is undergoing various changes to enable managing the rising demand and this is alongside our continuing efforts to recruit.

"We are also working alongside the Berkshire West CCG, Public Health at West Berkshire Council and our Patient Participation Group (PPG) who are all supporting us with these changes.

"With all these measures, we hope to be in a much better position by the summer."