A patient has criticised the merger of two doctors’ surgeries in Brighton over a lack of information and openness.
He said that a decision on the future of the Matlock Road Surgery, in Brighton, had been expected to be taken in public at an official meeting tomorrow (Tuesday 3 September).
But the discussion, he said, now looked likely to take place behind closed doors. Since his complaint, the position appears to have shifted.
The decision is due to be made by the Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Primary Care Commissioning Committee.
The Matlock Road Surgery, run by GP (general practitioner) Paul Allan, is expected to merge with the Beaconsfield Medical Practice, in Preston Road, Brighton, in March next year.
The lease on the Matlock Road Surgery, also known as the Matlock Surgery, runs out next spring.
Patient Max Glaskin has asked the CCG why its Primary Care Commissioning Committee is holding the discussion in private.
Mr Glaskin said that he went to a public engagement event about the proposed closure of the Matlock surgery.
Those present were told that the decision would be made in public this week, he said.
But finding the 198-page agenda for the meeting through layers of the CCG’s website left him frustrated.
Mr Glaskin said: “It’s hardly engaging with the public. It’s almost like one is excluded.
“We were told it is going to be public (but) when I called they said it was in a closed part of the meeting.
“There’s poor communication because they did not tell us it was going ahead and even if it is then it is not open to the public.”
Mr Glaskin said that he was not against the merger in principle but was unhappy with the way that it was being handled.
He said: “It’s a publicly funded body and it’s not making it easy for the public. It’s not transparent.
“Whatever it is they are deciding, it should be made more transparent so we can see how the committee is operating.”
The CCG said that the main debate would take place in public although some of the sensitive financial details would be heard in “part two” of the meeting which would take place in private.
The clinical chair of the CCG, David Supple, has previously told members of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board that the merger was a “pragmatic solution”.
Dr Supple said that GPs increasingly did not want to work alone in “single-handed” practices.
The Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) Primary Care Commissioning Committee has now moved the decision to the first part of their meeting and it will be held in public, at 2pm in Hove Town Hall. They said it had been an administrative error to have excluded it from the public part of the meeting and apologised. Now all they need to do is make it abundantly clear on their website exactly what public meetings are being held, where and when, instead of expecting people to drill down and down. I wonder if it is another symptom of the financial squeeze government keeps on our National health Service?