Issue - meetings

To consider any requests received in accordance with Part 4, Section B, Paragraph 29 of the Council’s Constitution.

As set out above the Chair noted that a deputation and two public questions had been accepted in relation to Item 10: ‘GP Access in Tottenham Hale: Capacity Study’. These had been received from:

Deputation

From Ms Vicky Ladizhinskaya

Public Questions

Michael Polledri, Chairman of Lee Valley Estates (represented by Chris Shellard)

NualaKiely, Service User Engagement Coordinator, Mental Health Support Association

Deputation

Ms Ladizhinskaya began by thanking the Board for hearing her deputation and noted that in addition to the people that had signed the original deputation request, over seventy additional people had also signed her deputation statement noting their support for this. For residents living in Bream Close, Hale Village and Ferry Lane, the difficulties attached to obtaining a GP appointment and the quality of the service provided by the local practice had become acute.

Ms Ladizhinskaya stated that new developments, including the Hale Village scheme, had seen the population of Tottenham Hale rise by 32% in the last three years and during this time there had been no increase in the provision of GP practices. In addition, the area’s largest practice, Tynemouth Road, was, by the NHS’s own admission, in the bottom ten practices in the country according to a survey undertaken in 2014. The same survey also showed that 42% of patients were unable to make an appointment when they telephoned the practice.

Ms Ladizhinskaya noted that prior to the new development at Hale Village being built there was an existing problem with the quality and provision of GP services in Tottenham Hale and that this had been compounded by a significant rise in the local population. It was noted that as part of the original planning permission granted by the Council for the Hale Village development it had been specified that a GP practice should be included within the scheme and that Lea Valley Estates had worked with the NHS to secure this. However, it had not been possible to find GPs willing to set up a practice in the area and as a consequence the space allocated for health care had been used for a kidney dialysis unit serving the wider north London area rather than addressing the primary care needs of the local community. Given the likelihood of further significant development in the area in medium to long term Ms Ladizhinskaya argued that it was essential that provision for primary care was properly considered and reflected in the plans currently being developed in order to prevent the problem worsening.

Ms Ladizhinskaya recounted her own experiences of attempting to obtain a GP appointment at the Tynemouth Road practice and a series of errors that had led to her test results being delayed by six weeks. She noted that many of her neighbours had experienced similar difficulties in obtaining a GP appointment and delays in hospital referrals. There was a general lack of communication and follow up from the Tynemouth Road practice and that was putting patients at unacceptable risk. She noted that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 107