As residents report fractious scenes at meetings held at the Ravenscroft Medical Centre to discuss the practice’s proposed move to Finchley Memorial Hospital, a local MP has added to criticism of the move.
Barnet Clinical Commissioning Group is currently consulting on the plans, which would see the current Golders Green Road practice close and services re-located to a currently empty space at the hospital, which is more than two miles away.
There, the Ravenscroft practice and two others would run services.
But the other two practices – Millway Medical Practice and Lane End Medical Group – will not close their existing premises.
A group of disgruntled patients have now formed a committee and started handing out leaflets opposing the move, too, while the opposition of the MP for Finchley and Golders Green – Mike Freer told this newspaper: “I know that a high number of my constituents are unhappy about the proposals and I share their concerns.
All three local councillors in Golders Green have also signed a letter of opposition.
“I have recently met with Barnet CCG and I stressed to them that travelling from Golders Green to the FMH site is not easy by public transport, especially for older residents or those having to deal with young children and pushchairs.
“In addition observant Jewish patients would find the journey problematic as the Sabbath approaches.”
One patient, Emma Jean Davis, told the Ham&High: “At the meeting I went to, there were thirty people shouting and screaming at the doctors. There’s been a complete break-down in relations between patients and the doctors.”
Another, Lucia Wilson added that, at one of the meetings held at the surgery: “Some of the patients were extremely distressed because they could not see how they could manage.
“One lady was almost crying, another was asking if they could lay on a special bus for the older or disabled patients.”
A Barnet CCG spokesperson said: “The CCG has been attending the patient drop-in sessions at Ravenscroft Medical Centre, which has allowed it to share information with patients, answer their questions and get valuable feedback that will inform the decision making process.”
The consultation runs until April 25.
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