Patients and staff at Withnell Health Centre voiced their complaints after a poor turnout at a meeting discussing the surgery's future.

The Integrated Care Board (ICB) is undertaking a new tendering process for Withnell Health Centre after Dr Ann Robinson’s contract was extended for 18 months.

The ICB and the surgery have organised six meetings to support the procurement process to ensure patients’ views are taken into consideration.

Despite the large backing of the ‘Save Withnell Health Centre’ campaign since the beginning of the year, only one per cent on patients turned up to the first meeting on August 31.

Councillor Margaret France, Chorley Council's lead member on shared services, joint working and community wellbeing, said: “The reason people weren’t individually notified before the start of the drop-in sessions is because the Integrated Care Board didn’t send their letter over to the Health Centre until late on Wednesday, less than 24 hours before the first meeting at Hillside.”

Many patients expressed their annoyance over the last minute notification and didn’t know there was a meeting until after it took place.

Nicola Phillipson, practice manager at Withnell Health Centre confirmed she only received the letter from the ICB late afternoon on August 30.

Craig Harris, chief of strategy, commissioning and integration at NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “I’d like to thank everybody who attended the drop-in session regarding the provision of GP services at Withnell Health Centre on Thursday, August 31.

“We apologise and acknowledge the letter we issued confirming the drop-in sessions came out later than we would have liked, however leaflets and posters advertising the sessions were dropped off at the surgery a week beforehand and were shared across community groups on social media.

“We are holding a further five drop-in sessions throughout September and if patients feel as though more sessions are needed in October, we will be happy to arrange those.

“We have been working very closely with the Withnell Patient Group to deliver a robust engagement exercise which also includes co-producing a questionnaire and designing materials for the patients of the practice, as well as arranging the drop-in sessions.

“We’d like to encourage as many people as possible to take part in the engagement activity as this will feed into the procurement process.”

Cllr France is urging patients to not be “complacent about the outcome of the next tender” and ensuring they turn up to meetings and fill out the questionnaire.

The upcoming engagement sessions:

  • September 13 - 3.30pm to 5.30pm, Abbey Village School Room of Endeavour
  • September 14 - 5pm to 7pm, Hillside Methodist Church
  • September 27 - 2pm to 4pm, Holdens Ice Cream Parlour, Abbey Village