Patients alarmed over health shake-up

Health chiefs have invited bids from private companies, social enterprises, the voluntary sector and traditional NHS providers to run Thornton Medical Practice and Denholme Surgery which serves nearly 8,500 patients.

But local people have expressed fears that a private firm could take over or that patients could face travelling further afield for some treatments.

Melanie Milnes, of Thornton Community Partnership, said local people had been forced to battle for a full consultation over future plans for the area and details remained “sketchy”.

She claimed GP services were underfunded compared to other parts but local needs were only likely to increase as more homes were built – while there were also concerns the surgery could become a branch of another practice.

“We want the consultation to bring improvements and increased funding that reflects the needs of the expanding community. Everybody has the right to the same healthcare and we shouldn’t be disadvantaged,” she said.

Catherine Thatcher, deputy director of primary care at NHS Bradford and Airedale, said patients’ views about services they would like to see available at the practice were being invited in a consultation which would run until October 31.

“We will use this information to influence the outcome of the tendering process,” she said.

Patient representatives would take part in interviews to appoint a new provider who it was hoped would be in place by next spring offering “at least the same level of services”.

Bidders would need to demonstrate how they would pro-actively identify patients at risk of chronic illness and those who needed support to change their lifestyles and manage their long-term ailments more effectively, she added.