Doncaster village set to lose GP surgery

A village doctors in Doncaster is set to close due to a shortage of GPs.
Labour candidate Kevin Rodgers held the Great North Road Ward at the election vote 2014 for Doncaster at Doncaster Racecourse. Picture: Andrew RoeLabour candidate Kevin Rodgers held the Great North Road Ward at the election vote 2014 for Doncaster at Doncaster Racecourse. Picture: Andrew Roe
Labour candidate Kevin Rodgers held the Great North Road Ward at the election vote 2014 for Doncaster at Doncaster Racecourse. Picture: Andrew Roe

The Ransome practice is planning to shut its branch surgery in Scawthorpe after the number of GPs fell by half.

It is the latest blow to the borough’s GP cover.

The Dunsville Practice, at Dunsville Medical Centre, has been given the all clear by the NHS to turn new patients away after the number of doctors fell from three to two before one GP went on long-term sick.

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And the Denaby Practice at Church View has been closed since last Autumn after the doctor who ran it handed back the contract when two former colleagues retired.

The plans to close the Scawthorpe Clinic, on Amersall Road, were outlined to Doncaster Council’s Health and Adults Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Panel, which was satisfied it had carried out the appropriate consultation. The decision is now with the Clinical Commissioning Group.

There are currently 1,320 patients registered to the clinic, although they are also allowed to attend the practice’s site in Bentley and Woodside.

Councillors were told that until 2012, there were four GPs but one retired in 2012 and a second, Dr Anim Addo, retired in March last year.

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The panel was told the doctors were concerned that the current arrangement would put patient safety at risk, and the solution was to move to having only two sites.

They have now held public consultation meetings with residents and there have been no formal objections to the closure

Carolyn Ogle, senior primary care manager at the Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group, said recruitment was an issue across Doncaster and the whole of South Yorkshire.

GPs were looking at ways to deal with the problem, including making better use of pharmacists for minor ailments and upskilling other staff to enable them to do paperwork that may have been done by doctors in the past.

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But two of Scawthorpe’s ward councillors raised concerns in the meeting over the closure.

Coun Pat Haith said for patients to travel to Bentley from Scawthorpe would involve two bus journeys.

Coun Kevin Rodgers said after the meeting: “It’s sad to lose local services that a lot of people depend on.

“I’m worried it will put extra pressure on the other two surgeries.

“I think we have to keep an eye on this.”