The Enfield Southgate MP included a copy of his letter to the Integrated Care Board in his most recent email newsletter
Enfield Southgate MP Bambos Charalambous has written to the body responsible for NHS services in North Central London in response to a proposal to permanently close a Palmers Green GP surgery that he says provides a "key service" for older members of the community living south of the North Circular Road.
The surgery in question, in Grenoble Gardens, is part of a practice which also has premises in Grovelands Road, Palmers Green, and Natal Road, Bowes Park. The Grenoble Gardens surgery has not been open since closing "temporarily" last summer.
The MP was prompted to write to the North Central London Integrated Care Board (NCL ICB) after being contacted by Dr Chandra Patalay, by some of her patients and by the nearby Greens Pharmacy, where signatures were collected for a petition opposing closure. Dr Patalay set up the surgery in 1991. In 2013 she merged the practice with the Grovelands surgery and, she says, the combined practice "worked very well up until this year", when her partners decided to close the Grenoble Gardens premises.
According to the MP's letter, Dr Patalay was not properly informed about the other partners' application to close the surgery and, despite her e-signature being on the application, did not consent to it. Furthermore, in contradiction to the application, which asserted that for structural reasons the building was no longer fit for purpose, a survey of the building that she commissioned stated that damage caused by subsidence is not considered to be dangerous or at risk and "therefore the property is not considered to be unfit for purpose".
The full text of Bambos Charalambous's letter, sent on 6th July, was included in a recent email newsletter sent to constituents and can be read below. It was the second letter on the subject that he had written to NCL ICB, who had failed to respond to the first, sent in early May.
For more reporting on this, including the Integrated Care Board's response to an enquiry from the Local Democracy Reporting Service, see this news item on the Enfield Dispatch website.
Read the MP's letter to the Integrated Care Board
Text of letter from Bambos Charalambous MP to North Central London Integrated Care Board
BAMBOS CHARALAMBOUS MP
ENFIELD SOUTHGATE
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SW1A OAA
North Central London Integrated Care Board Sent via email
Our Ref: BC41060 6 July 2023
Dear Primary Care Commissioning & Contracting Team
Re: Stakeholder response - Grenoble Gardens Branch Surgery
I am writing in response to NHS North Central London ICB consultation titled 'Proposed Closure of Grenoble Gardens'.
I am submitting the following response on behalf of Dr Patalay of Grenoble Gardens GP Surgery, Greens Pharmacy, 48 Green Lanes, London N13 6JU and constituents who have contacted me individually.
Dr Patalay informs me she is a partner at the surgery; however, she has not been kept abreast of partners contacting NHS England and NCL ICB to discuss closing the practice following structural issues at the surgery. I am informed the surgery has been closed since the summer of 2022 without explanation to Dr Patalay, the 3500 registered patients it serves and the linked Greens Pharmacy. I understand Dr Patalay has only been informed of structural issues raised by partners in recent months, leading to her seeking an independent surveyor's report, please see the outcome attached. I understand this report notes the surgery is fit for purpose.
First, I must share that Dr Patalay has confirmed that she has not consented to the closure of the practice as stated on the survey page for this consultation. Dr Patalay has explained that her e-signature was used only.
Dr Patalay has gone on to explain two further discrepancies in this application for practice closure.
1. Patients were notified of a temporary closure from 15-19 August 2022 of the Grenoble Gardens site only. Dr Patalay is unaware of any other notification of a long-term closure.
2. Dr Patalay is unaware of staffing shortages as the Natal Road site have previously closed for evenings and opened part time during the week to patients.
I note one reason for the proposed closure of the surgery is given as structural issues at the practice building. Dr Patalay has appointed an independent structural engineer who issued a report on 17 March 2023 confirmed the building was safe and works could be carried out to repair subsidence. Dr Patalay received the report from the Subsidence Division of the insurance company, which states:
"Whilst I understand your concerns regarding the cracking in the property and urgency for repair, I can confirm that the damage is not considered to be dangerous or at risk and therefore the property is not considered to be unfit for purpose."
Dr Patalay has confirmed that a meeting took place this spring between surgery partners and NHS England. Dr Patalay is dismayed to report that NHS England are not seeking clarity over structural issues put forward by other practice partners or considering the independent report she has shared. Dr Patalay is further concerned that the petition of over 1000 patients has not been considered. I understand Greens Pharmacy is continuing to collect signatures for this petition.
As you will know, we have 14 GP surgeries within the constituency serving an estimated 65,731 constituents. Even with 14 surgeries, including Grenoble Gardens, 3391 patients were waiting 8-14 days for an appointment in February 2023, with 1814 waiting 15-21 days and 904 patients waiting more than 28 days. This will not account for the patients who have not made appointments as they await the reopening of their local surgery.
In my casework, access to GP appointments has remained a significant and longstanding issue. Today, constituents still contact me regularly to explain the difficulties they face in accessing their GP effectively, without long delays and without a struggle to get that all important appointment.
I understand the surgery is linked by management to the Grovelands practice, which had 12.6% of patients waiting over two weeks for an appointment in February 2023. Patients have informed Greens Pharmacy that they have been unable to book an appointment at Grovelands GP due to numbers registered to the surgery. I am informed that Grenoble Gardens GP is a key service for older members of the community who are unable to travel distances to alternative health services.
Greens Pharmacy inform me that they had previously contacted NHS England who were unaware that the surgery had been closed for several months, or fears of structural issues.
I raised the above concerns to NCL ICB and NHS England on 2 and 5 May respectively to request clarification on the above concerns. I also requested confirmation of details of the process in place when considering the closure of a GP practice and how this has been considered to date considering community response. I have not received a response to date from NCL ICB. NHS England confirmed it was for NCL ICB to respond on this matter.
I have since received concerns for travel times for patients of Grenoble Gardens site to the Natal Road or Grovelands Medical Centre. First, I understand the 16 minute walking distance between sites noted in consultation documents relates to the distance between the three medical sites only, it does not account for distance for patients living beyond each site.
One constituent has reported the following:
"Today I took the 121 bus from Berkshire Gardens and by bus at 11.45am it took 15 minutes, due to constant heavy traffic in this area. I am at an age where I am still able to walk but I speak for a lot of the residents that are too elderly and do not drive, or family members to support them. The North Circular road pedestrian crossing is very difficult and dangerous, compounded with an elderly person that has a walking stick, poor vision and hearing they will put their life and others in jeopardy to visit their doctor at Grovelands. This can only spiral into a part of the community being neglected and isolated from any medical assistance which is unfair."
I share my constituents concerns that the most vulnerable in our community may become isolated during a time of their greatest need to access our NHS.
This is a concern I have heard repeated and must be addressed in any discussions regarding the potential closure of the Grenoble Gardens surgery.
Yours sincerely,
Bambos Charalambous MP