Only GP practice in Greenfield saved from ‘catastrophic’ closure
Reporter: Charlotte Hall, Local Democracy Reporter
Date published: 08 April 2024
Local councillors Helen Bishop and Amy Wrigley at the Greenfield surgery
The only GP practice in Greenfield has been saved from the threat of imminent closure because of a complicated leasehold coming to an end at the end of March.
The closure of Greenfield’s Pennine Medical Centre would have seen thousands of patients forced to travel to Mossley or Saddleworth for treatment instead.
The NHS site was caught in the crossfires of a complicated rental agreement between the landlord, integrated care board and NHS Estates.
Dr Bal Duper, who manages the practice, ‘raised the alarm’ about an impending eviction to councillor Helen Bishop at a community council meeting.
Coun Bishop, who helped secure the new lease, said: “We were literally weeks from this practice having to close or being evicted from the building.
"And had we lost this practice in Greenfield, it would have been really quite catastrophic.
“The problem was that responsibility for the practice staying open lay with so many different people that Greenfield surgery was in danger of falling through the cracks.
"We had to get everyone together fast.”
Working as a mediator between the groups involved, councillors secured a new five year-lease for the medical centre, which serves around 4,500 local residents.
Funding for the lease was found by the NHS team in Oldham.
Coun Bishop said: “The threat of closure - the legal process of removing the surgery as a tenant had already started - certainly sharpened people’s minds. In just a few weeks, we got agreement.”
Patients of the practice praised the rescue of the community ‘asset’, with one saying “I am thrilled to bits. Well done to everyone concerned.”
GP Dr Duper was also relieved about the new lease.
He said: “I don’t think we would have got so far in such a short time, with the deadline pending, without the input of the local councillors.
"We’re now going to work with the landlord to improve the facilities that are there for our patients.”
But councillors in Saddleworth noted that the near-miss was a symptom of a wider issue with healthcare provisions in the area, with patients reporting difficulties in getting appointments or having to travel long distances for specialised treatment.
Another local councillor, Sam Al-Hamdani, said: “So many people in Saddleworth have problems accessing healthcare.
"If the surgery had closed, it would have been horrific for so many people.
“I’m delighted that we were able to bring all the right people to the table and hammer out an agreement.”
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