An NHS organisation is urging for voters to join calls for new policies to support stretched GP surgeries.
The patients’ participation groups (PPGs) for the Malling Primary Care Group, which cares for 60,000 people in the region, has previously warned of “a serious threat of overload” to its surgeries due to new care homes planned for Kings Hill and West Malling.
It is worried about the strains the facilities will place on doctors’ time and their ability to care for residents already on their books, and wants to see a shake-up in planning policy to solve such problems.
The group’s chairman, Bob MacDonald, is urging people to discuss the issue on the doorstep in the run up to the election next week.
He said: “We are non-political, but these are important matters for the 60,000 or so patients in our region.”
His organisation represents the patients attending the five GP surgeries in the network - the Phoenix, Snodland, Thornhills, Wateringbury and West Malling Group Practices - but the principle of the issue is relevant for patients anywhere.
Mr MacDonald said: “We published an article in April warning that new privately built care homes are being granted planning permission by (in our case) Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council without apparently cross-checking with GPs that they won’t overload the surgery.”
Mr MacDonald said increased demand from new care homes lands on the surgeries with no extra provision of clinical or other resources, which inevitably leads to a poorer service and longer waiting lists for existing patients.
He said: “As an aside, each care home has an average estimated turnover of £5.5m per annum.
“In our view, obliging care homes to provide surgeries with the cost of providing the extra GP care that is necessary is well within the budget of the care homes.”
The PPGs are unhappy with the response to their letter written eight weeks ago to Tonbridge and Malling’s chief executive and to the director of planning.
Mr MacDonald said: “There has been no response other than a holding message from the director of planning saying that they were working on a response.
“All the political parties seem to be putting improving the NHS at the top of their agenda, but we are not hearing this specific issue being mentioned.
“It is more general than just care homes of course. Any large housing development can put the same pressure on local GP services,
“We acknowledge that there is a need for both new care homes and more housing, but they must come with adequate support for local GP services.
“It is the local authorities who issue planning permissions, but they act under direction from the government of the day.
“We need our MPs to commit to a shift in planning policy to support our GPs and our patient services.”
“We invite patients to make their views known to all the candidates.”
A spokesman for Tonbridge and Malling council said: “We always consult local organisations when considering applications for care homes.
“This includes the Kent and Medway Integrated Care System which represents local health care providers, including GPs.
“We use their feedback to inform agreements with developers for the contributions they will need to make for health and other services.
“These funding arrangements, known as Section 106 agreements, have already delivered more than £262,000 to expand or improve local GP surgeries, following the granting of permission for a new care facility in Aylesford.
“It is important to stress that the council’s role is to secure the funding from developers as a condition of granting planning permission.
“It is the job of the NHS integrated care team to work with the developer to ensure the facilities are provided to support the proposed development.”
