Forum topic: Park Lodge Medical Centre to close

Park Lodge Medical Centre in Old Park Road is to close and its services will be transferred to the Winchmore Hill Practice (located at 808 Green Lanes and also known as the Green Lanes Surgery). Patients registered at Park Lodge can be seen at Green Lanes or opt to transfer to a different practice.

The closure date is not yet known, but patients (and carers) at both practices are being invited to "stakeholder meetings", to be held at Green Lanes on Thursday 29th June at 7pm and at Park Lodge on Friday 30th June at 1pm or Monday 3rd July at 6.30pm.  Park Lodge patients are being invited to complete an online survey about the changes.

The decision to close Park Lodge, which has around 8700 registered patients, follows criticism by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).  A CQC inspection carried out in March 2016 stated that

"Risks to patients were not all well managed, in particular, the practice was deficient in regard to: recruitment checks; chaperone training; disclosure and barring service checks; safeguarding training; infection control training; failing to act on recommendations in its fire risk assessment; basic life support training for all staff; failing to act on recommendations in its legionella report; and it did not have a defibrillator on the premises or a suitable risk assessment of the need for one."

Word is that the cost of bringing the premises up to CQC required standards would have been significant.  The sole remaining GP partner has chosen to retire rather than spend the money.  He owns the property in Old Park Road, which will probably be converted back to residential use.