Doctors needed for Hucknall residents

Meeting at Seymour Road Baptist Church to inform public on new health changes. Pictured is Keith Mann from Primary Care Contact.

Nine hundred new homes are proposed for the Rolls-Royce site off Watnall Road. This is in the west of Hucknall, which already lacks a general practitioner surgery.

The leader of Ashfield District Council, Coun Chris Baron (Lab), said the NHS had requested £850,000 for section 106 developer cash to finance a surgery in that part of the town.

“A surgery can be provided but it would be up to the NHS to staff it with GPs,” said Coun Baron. “The same applies to the new development in Hucknall’s Papplewick Lane area.”

Coun Baron said he would like to see more resources put into prevention of illness as a means of tackling health inequalities in Ashfield.

The meeting, held by the NHS England and the Nottingham North and East Clinical Commissioning Group, took place at Seymour Road Baptist Church on Ruffs Estate was attended by about 40 people.

The Carers In Hucknall group chairman, Jim Radburn, said there was only one bus an hour from near the Rolls-Royce site and this posed a big problem, particularly for older people, who wanted to visit a doctor.

“My own concern is that I am having to wait four weeks to see a doctor of my choice.”

Michael Ellis, of the Nottingham North and East CCG, said: “It was a very useful meeting and it is recognised that Hucknall has one of the highest rates of deprivation in the CCG area.”

and that this can lead to long-term illness.”