The University Medical Group is running a patient consultation exercise throughout August and September 2024 about the proposal to close its GP practice at Whitley Villa, 1 Christchurch Road, RG2 7AB from the start of January 2025.
If you have any views to express ( positive or negative) about this proposal or would like more information regarding this proposed change, you can do so by contacting:
Fiona Mullin, University Medical Practice, 9 Northcourt Avenue, Reading RG2 7HE.
Write: to the above address
Attend: Patient Participation Group meeting in person or on-line on Thursday 15th August: 6-7pm at the University Medical Practice.
The background to the proposed closure
We have received the following information from The University Medical Group:
The Whitley Villa surgery site is not Disability Discrimination Act Compliant as there is no lift to the first floor GP consulting rooms with no scope to change the layout.
At times it is not possible to have a GP available at the Whitley Villa site to provide clinical supervision for the nursing team and they need to move back to the main site at the University Medical Practice on 9 Northcourt Avenue.
It is inefficient to have staff travel back to the University Medical Practice to continue working after the Whitley Villa site has closed at 5pm.
What are the positives of the potential closure?
It will provide an extra receptionist to answer phones.
Clinicians can change/extend their working hours as the University Medical Practic site is open 8am-8pm Monday to Thursday and to 8am- 630pm on a Friday.
There will always be a GP present to provide supervision for clinicians.
It will save the practice money on cleaning, utilities, and insurance to have all the services based at one site which can be used instead for patient care.
It will save money for the local NHS body (BOB ICS) as it will no longer need to pay the rent and rates for the Whitley Villa Surgery site.
There will be no loss of services for patients. The University Medical Practice will continue to provide the full scope of services with no change in opening hours.
What are the disadvantages of potential closure?
No choice of site. The Whitley Villa branch surgery is 0.5miles away from the main site.
Some patients use a bus to Whitley Street, close to the Whitley Villa Surgery. If the proposed closure goes ahead, they will need to walk to Vicarage Road to pick up a second bus or walk the 15 minutes to the University Medical Practice from Whitley Street
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