Declares that the Petitioners object to the closure of the Park End Clinic, Skelton Medical Centre, and Skelton NHS walk-in centre; further that the Petitioners object to the proposed closure of minor injuries units at East Cleveland and Guisborough Hospitals; further that the Petitioners are concerned these reductions in provision of primary care services will increase demand on the Accident and Emergency Department at James Cook University Hospital; further that the Petitioners believe that Ministers in the Department of Health should meet with the honourable Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland to discuss these closures, and regret that Ministers have not committed to such a meeting.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges Ministers to meet with the honourable Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland to discuss these changes in service provision, and encourages NHS England and the South Tees NHS Clinical Commissioning Group to abandon these closures.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Tom Blenkinsop, Official Report, 2 July 2014; Vol. 583, c. 1047.]
[P001364]
Observations from the Secretary of State for Health:
These are matters for the local NHS. This Government are committed to devolving decision making about local NHS services to local clinicians and communities. GPs, clinicians, patients and local authorities are best placed to determine the nature of their NHS services.
Ministers have responded to the hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland on these matters on several occasions.
A public consultation on the proposed changes to community hospital services in South Tees is currently taking place and is due to end on 31 July. No decisions have been made on the proposed changes to the minor injuries units at East Cleveland and Guisborough Hospitals.
NHS England has reviewed the provision of primary care services at Skelton Medical Centre and Park End Clinic, and service users have been invited to contribute their views. In addition, the South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group has consulted locally on the provision of the walk-in service at Skelton. NHS England will work with the South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group on the outcome of the reviews.