Forum Topic

Local GP waiting times

I called me GP practice to get an app: they only have appointments in 4 weeks' timeThey offered me another option: called the lanline in the morning to get same day appI tried callig, lines engaged By the time I got through, all apps for the day were taken!When I first moved to Brentford -10 years ago-I used to get apps to see my usual GP ( an excellent GP called dr Crowe, who has not left) within2 weeks....now it is 4 weeks and just to a GP, dont even think about having a regular one..The other day I just saw yet another new flats development srarting(next to Chiswick roundabout)This is becoming out of control...is anybody from the local goverment thinking about these issues when they grant permission to build more flats?

Silvia Diaz ● 2883d10 Comments

Agreed, Ian. I understand that space was set aside for a GP surgery in the GWQ development but that no GP practice was interested.I believe there is a severe shortage of GPs which is very likely to get worse with Brexit as many European (and probably other overseas) doctors head elsewhere due to uncertainty and generally not feeling welcome here. Furthermore, the funding squeeze on the NHS is most unlikely to be reversed or relaxed whilst the Conservatives are in power.

Guy Lambert ● 2880d

The council will have CIL and old S106 balances on their balance sheet, but will not have anything related to provision of NHS surgeries as this is via the Department of Health.

Ian Speed ● 2880d

I think one of the challenges is the sheer number of GP's who now choose not to work full time. For example according to the statement of earnings on the Brentford Group Practice all 6 GP's were working part time.

James Homer ● 2880d

The good thing is that after Brexit the NHS will have everthing. Seriously I was reading a recent study (may have been by the the WHO). They looked at France Germany Netherlandsd Belgium etc to find out much we need to put in extra to the NHS to bring us in line with spending on health of those countries per head of the population. The figure was an extra £20 billion per year. This goverment is promising £8 billion extra over the life of the goverment. Just shows how committed they are.

Nicholas Beard ● 2880d

"I've not noticed any new GP/dental  facilites though in Brentford.  Are there any to cope with all the new residents?"Not sure about new ones, but at least one - Greenbrook Surgery - has recently been closed.

Alex Shpinkov ● 2880d

Doesn't this figure show up the LBH accounts?  I'm hopeless at reading these sort of things but many people are expert so a bit of info. would be of great interest.  Surely with all the Brentford new builds, the Council must have accumulated several thouands of £s.  I've not noticed any new GP/dental  facilites though in Brentford.  Are there any to cope with all the new residents?

Jennifer Selig ● 2881d

Nor did I.  How is our Council spending their CIL as it starts to accumulate?

Catherine Jones ● 2881d

Many thanks. I did not know about this.

Nicholas Beard ● 2882d

Which there already is in the form of Community Infrastructure Levy, and which is not negotiable.  In the east of the Borough it's £200 per square metre for new residential floorspace, so an averaged sized 2 double bed flat will incur an LBH CIL of around £15k, and a Mayoral CIL (which all goes to Crossrail and is charged at £35 per spare metre within LBH) of around £2600.So with 6/7 flats a developer has got to pay LBH CIL of around £100,000 and Mayoral CIL of £17000.However, whereas Mayoral CIL has been chargeable since april 2012, LBH CIL has only chargeable since July 2015, hence it will take time for the effects of local CIL to take hold.Not that I'm defending the Government and or saying that CIL is the solution to everything, but the whole point of CIL is to address infrastructure deficiencies.For me personally, tackling over-population and financially penalising large families would be a better solution, but that's never going to happen unfortunately.

Adam Beamish ● 2882d

When Mrs Thatcher was in power I  remember reading that to have the same number of doctors per head as France we needed an extra 26000 doctors. Of course nothing was done. As you say more flats are being built but nobody has joined up thinking. More school places, doctors, nurses, better roads etc. The government has done nothing about a recent report that said the UK was the worst place to have a baby in Western Europe. Doctors from the EU and medical staff are indicating they are going to return. Again the government offers no solution. One idea could be to put a tax of say £100000.00 on new builds to be used for health and school provision.

Nicholas Beard ● 2882d