11 April 2022
GP provision is a country-wide problem, with many people reporting issues getting appointments. It is a problem that is particularly acute in the Weddington and St Nicolas areas of Nuneaton where there has been huge amounts of new developments – at least 2,000 new homes and counting. Back in 2011, a condition of the planning permission for the first development in Weddington (Church Fields) was that land needed to be given for a GP surgery. Subsequent development has had to give money to the NHS for GP services. Despite the land and money being provided, the NHS has failed to act, with business cases changing as well as the requirements from government. The NHS has had various re-organisations which have not helped the situation. Since 2011, it has been the responsibility of the two local Primary Care Trusts (PCT) which became one and then in 2013, became Warwickshire North CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group). This then merged with Coventry and Rugby CCG and then that merged with South Warwickshire CCG and now they are all Coventry and Warwickshire ICS (Integrated Care Service). Of course, staff have also changed multiple times with all these re-organisations. At one point the CCG changed the proposed location to the Top Farm development (which still has no planning permission!) but now, more than 10 years on from the first outline planning permission in Weddington, they have decided it will be on the Weddington Road/Church Fields site after all but the need is such that they have arranged for a ‘temporary’ surgery to be at the St Nicolas Clinic on St Nicolas Park Drive. The staff have been recruited and it should have opened this month (April 2022) but is being delayed by the CQC inspection not having been carried out yet (now expected in May).
In Whitestone, similar difficulties may well be on the cards with the developemnt at the end of Golf Drive having full planning permission for the 621 houses but only outline planning permission for the Health Centre.
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