Rye Medical Centre has been left perplexed and dissatisfied yet again by NHS England’s treatment of its application to open a weekly surgery at the award-winning newly refurbished Peasmarsh Memorial Hall.
At the end of June NHS England refused permission on the basis that “conditions [at the hall] are not satisfactory” and the centre was given just six weeks to appeal. However, eight months before, the Care Quality Commission said its approval was not required for the memorial hall. NHS England has offered no explanation as to how it reached its conclusion – nor has it ever approached the hall committee or the medical centre to request an inspection of the facilities. Yet the hall won a Sussex Heritage Trust award in early summer because of “the high standard” of the work there.
Supported by a petition signed by nearly 1,000 local residents in the six weeks given to appeal, the medical centre – which successfully runs three other satellite surgeries in Brede, Camber and Icklesham – lodged its appeal three days before the deadline.
NHS England’s contract quality and assurance panel met on September 2, but the medical centre was told that the appeal was not heard. The panel was apparently unable to agree who would chair the appeal, or indeed how it could vote as two of its four members worked for NHS England whose decision was being challenged. The panel has not given a date for a new hearing as it has “to look at its constitution”.
Having been forced to appeal within a matter of weeks – after being told months before that the hall did not need approval – the medical centre now has no timetable and no deadline and is left waiting in limbo to hear what happens next.
In the meantime, East Sussex County Council’s consultation on bus cuts, which is likely to seriously limit Peasmarsh residents’ ability to get to the medical centre in Rye, ends this month. Decisions will be taken by the county council that could make it even more necessary for Peasmarsh to have its own GP surgery.
Local MP Amber Rudd (see article) has said she “strongly opposes any cuts to the bus services” because of the impact on those who live in rural villages, and has urged the county council not to make these cuts.
Gill Clamp is on the committee of the Rye Medical Centre PPG