Shrewsbury MP to visit a GP 'super hub' to see plan in action
Shrewsbury's MP says he will be visiting a GP 'super hub' elsewhere to see how it might operate in the county town.
Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski met health officials in the town to discuss controversial proposals for a combined GP hub in Meole Brace.
The plan potentially involves Beeches Medical Practice, Belvidere Medical Practice, Claremont Bank Surgery, Marden Medical Practice, Marysville Medical Practice and South Hermitage Surgery.
The 'super hub' would cater for more than 40,000 patients.
The proposal, from Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin NHS, has met with strong criticism from local councillors, while Dr Charlotte Hart, the GP leading the scheme, has recently hit back at a group of retired GPs who have questioned the scheme.
Mr Kawczynski met Dr Hart and other health officials to discuss the plans, and said he would now be taking the chance to visit a GP hub operating in Cheshire, to see how the plan works in reality.
He said: "I had a very productive meeting with Dr Hart and officials. I am now at the stage where I am calling for a measured debate on this issue.
"Clearly everyone wants to improve the offering for local patients and I have taken up an offer to go and see one of these super surgeries operating in Cheshire to see exactly how it operates and what is involved."
He added: "They are claiming it would have an awful lot of services under one roof. This concept, it is a sort of one-stop shop for GP services, so less hassle and stress going to different parts of the town to get things done.
"I am monitoring the situation carefully, I have listened to Dr Hart and officials and the next step for me is to go to see one of these in action."
A group of Labour councillors had called for the money earmarked for the potential hub to instead be spent on upgrades to the individual practices involved.
However, Dr Hart said that the funding, which would come from the NHS, could only be spent on this specific project and not redirected to other practices.
A formal consultation on the plans will take place later this year.
