Richard has been completing his visits to GP surgeries across the constituency of North East Bedfordshire. At the end of last month, he visited Greensands surgery in Potton and the Sandy Health Centre.
Speaking after the visits, Richard Fuller MP said:
The two surgeries share many of the same pressures from historical housing growth that has been evident in other parts of the constituency. Patients on roll increase, GP numbers remain broadly static and other clinical staff such as paramedics and various grades of nurses are added to the staff roll. This can work and I was pleased to hear about the care provided by these two practices. Both happen to be partner led practices: the traditional model for primary care in the NHS and, in my view, the best model for the future: certainly in rural areas and small towns.
Unlike in other parts of Bedfordshire, patients at these two practices can have appointments made by walking in to the surgery and appointments are offered weeks in advance, not just same day. Both Potton and Sandy are some distance from secondary care available at Bedford, Hinchingbrooke or Lister Hospitals. There was support for a walk-in centre or health hub in Biggleswade: an issue I have championed with the Health Minister. I will be meeting with him and Central Beds Council Leader, Adam Zerny, soon to see if we can unblock the NHS bureaucracy.
