Campaigners opposed to Dispatch district medical centre falling into American group's hands

Springfield patients are due to move to St Albans next year when the GPs at Springfield, Dr and Mrs Mohindra, retire.

But campaign group Keep Our NHS Public are opposed to this because they claim Springfield will be taken over by a company called Operose – which is owned by Centene, an American insurance company, which the group says has a bad record when it comes to healthcare.

And they fear that the move is another step further down the road to eventual privatisation of the NHS.

Keep Our NHS Public protested in the centre of Bulwell about the plans for Springfield last month and handed out leafletts to residents outlining their fears.

The leaflets said: “So far, Operose has got its hands on six GP practices in Nottinghamshire, some of them run without permanent doctors.

"When the GP at Springfield Medical Centre retires next spring, all his patients will find themselves transferred to The Practice St Albans & Nirmala, already run by Operose.

"Make no mistake, there is only one reason why a US insurance group would want to deliver healthcare in Bulwell – profit.

"And the Centene group's way to maximise profits is to cut back services and use fewer, less-qualified clinicians.

"If that fails to bring in the riches they anticipated, they simply walk away, even mid-contract."

But NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG rebuffed the group’s claims and said they were satisfied with the arrangements.

A spokesperson said: “Due to their retirement from Springfield Medical Centre, Dr and Mrs Mohindra have arranged for the services and staff from Springfield Medical Centre to merge with The Practice St Albans and Nirmala, a local doctor’s surgery less than 500 metres away.

“We are satisfied that The Practice St Albans and Nirmala team will provide good quality care for Springfield patients.”

Springfield patients and the public as a whole can raise any concerns or issues they have by emailing [email protected] or by calling 0115 8839570.