Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the planned closure of Skellingthorpe Health Centre on local provision of health services.

Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group has received an application from the Glebe Practice regarding the proposed closure of its branch surgery in Skellingthorpe. It will be carrying out a public consultation and an equality impact assessment will be presented to the Primary Care Commissioning Committee prior to any decision being made.

When a general practitioner practice closes, patients are informed and advised to register at other local practices of their choice within the catchment area in which they live. In some instances, and in consultation with patients and patient groups, patients are allocated to other neighbouring practices with adequate capacity. Commissioners locally will work with their practices to ensure they are only allocated a volume of patients which they have capacity to manage appropriately and effectively.