Residents campaigning for a new doctor’s surgery for east Wycombe to be built on the old Homebase site in London Road have been dealt a blow – as it is confirmed there are no plans for a new GP in the area.

A petition set up by community campaigner and former councillor Trevor Snaith asks both the Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Bucks County Council when a new health centre would open in the east of High Wycombe.

However, responding to the petition, the Bucks CCG says there are already 10 GP surgeries and one branch surgery covering Bowerdean, Totteridge, Ryemead and Micklefield.

Mr Snaith said an “ideal opportunity” for a new state-of-the art health centre has arisen following the closure of Homebase on London Road.

Bucks Free Press:

The Homebase site could be an "ideal" location for a new health centre, campaigners say

Lidl will be opening up a store there in its place and highlighted plans for “pod” shops next door – which Mr Snaith said could house a new GP surgery and pharmacy.

ALSO READ: Why new Lidl store in High Wycombe won't be opening for a while

The petition urges the Bucks CCG and the county council to “work together to secure the land” for a health centre, adding: “We need some focus and urgency”.

However, the campaign has been scuppered as the CCG has said the surgeries in the area are enough to cover residents’ needs – despite a planned increase in the population due to several new large-scale housing developments.

These include the 1,000-home Gomm Valley village and the planned new estates on Abbey Barn North and South.

Mr Snaith said after a petition for better healthcare provision in east Wycombe was presented to Bucks County Council two years ago, they agreed to take up the issue.

After that, Lynton House surgery – which was threatened with closure – instead got a major refurbishment thanks to Cllr Julia Wassell, who helped secure £20,000 for it, but Mr Snaith said this was only supposed to be an “interim measure until we got a new health centre”.

He added: “Two years on and we are still waiting. The pressing issue we face is that there is a shortage of doctors and health care provision in the east of High Wycombe.”

In response to the petition, a spokesman for the Bucks CCG effectively said there would be no new health centre.

They said: “Buckinghamshire has a growing, ageing population, meaning primary care is no longer just about the traditional GP surgery service.

“Instead, it is about using other healthcare professionals to support where appropriate, building services around the individual needs of patients themselves rather than buildings.

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“GP surgeries remain a vital part of this strategy. NHS Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group secured the future of Lynton House as a branch surgery to help with primary care provision in the east Wycombe area, and has also invested in services at Wycombe Hospital.

“Wherever possible, the CCG will look to retain and grow existing practices but would endeavour to support any practice wishing to move to a different location, should the request to relocate be justified and affordable.

“A review of existing provision illustrates that the majority of practices in Wycombe (of which there are ten plus one branch surgery at Lynton House) currently cover the wards identified in Mr Snaith’s correspondence.”

Sign the petition at you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/doctors-surgery-for-east-end-of-high-wycombe