A COUNCILLOR is seeking an urgent meeting with bosses of a medical practice to try to prevent the closure of a satellite GP surgery which she says could leave more than 1,000 patients with no access to local care.

Plans to close Trent Road surgery in Shaw - part of the Parks Medical Practice based in Royton - have come under fire from Liberal Democrat Crompton councillor Diane Williamson and her ward and party colleagues Dave Murphy and Louie Hamblett.

Cllr Williamson has hit out after attending a special meeting of Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group convened to discuss the closure where she says she was not allowed to voice her views.

She said the surgery, scheduled for closure in January, "not only caters for those (patients) in the locality but offers medical care to people living in Royton, Shaw and other parts of Crompton ward, as well as those further afield in Saddleworth and Rochdale".

Cllr Williamson said: "The meeting was held in public, but not one where I could ask any questions. I cannot explain how ang was, although I suspect those residents and officers present could tell.

"Coming away from that meeting, I felt that the residents who had been vocal in wanting the surgery to remain open had expressed their concerns very well, but it fell on deaf ears."

She said that they understood Dr Pal, who ran Trent Road, was retiring and they had nothing but kind words, affection and praise for him and his colleagues at that location, as I have. I was a patient there when I lived in High Crompton.

"What we wanted was to see someone else take his place in that building," she continued.

Cllr Williamson said that reasons put forward the meeting for closing the surgery was that it could not carry out minor surgery procedures, there was no privacy and the fact that Parks Medical Practice was "not fulling it contractual obligations with the number of hours the surgery is open, which is two mornings a week".

The latest development comes in the wake of Parks Medical Practice being deemed by the Care Quality Commission to be "inadequate" in a recent inspection and being placed into special measures.

"My problem is it all seems a little too convenient with Parks Medical Practice making the decision to close the surgery, when Dr Pal has announced his retirement," said Cllr Williamson.

"This cannot have been the first inspection where the building was deemed to be inadequate for its patients. Why did they not spend funds on it, especially with the ever-changing NHS, GP services and clinics being offered more locally? These changes have been in the making for years, but they have missed the boat.

"Luckily, residents have the opportunity to still use the surgery until the end of January when it closes; just when the flu season is in full swing and elderly patients will be struggling."

Cllr Williamson has written to Oldham Council chief executive Dr Carolyn Wilkins, who is also the single accountable officer for Oldham Cares and the CCG, which makes the ultimate decision over the future of the Trent Road, to express her "anger and disappointment that such a decision was made without the input of ward councillors in this new so-called partnership approach".

She wrote: "The whole process seems to be shambolic for engagement with local members, so my colleagues and I would welcome the opportunity to meet with decision makers at Parks Medical Practice to understand more of the rationale behind the closure."

The Oldham Times has contacted Oldham CCG and Parks' practice manager Mrs Catherine Cenci for comment.