STRATTON Medical Centre has expressed disappointment that its bid in securing support from NHS England to build a new surgery has been unsuccessful.

The Post reported last April that Stratton Medical Centre ‘had applied and been successful’ in being allocated funding for primary care infrastructure.

At a meeting of the Bude Community Network Panel at the time, April 13, 2015, which focused on health provision in Bude and the surrounding area, Julia Cory, head of primary care in the South West for NHS England, said of the medical centre’s application: “It means that you won’t get a new surgery built tomorrow but it’s a start of a process and I think it’s really positive for the community.”

However, Stratton Medical Centre said on November 2, the Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group (Kernow CCG) notified the centre that the ‘fund had been oversubscribed, with many more bids submitted than could be afforded and unfortunately Stratton Medical Centre’s proposal was not selected as one of the few bids to go forward to the next stage’.

The medical centre explained the Kernow CCG’s notification said the CCG ‘understood and supported’ Stratton Medical Centre’s case, but that it has ‘only two major schemes funded over the next three years’.

Kathryn Pengelly practice manager at Stratton Medical Centre, said ‘during the last 20 months NHS England has changed the name of the same funding stream on three occasions’.

She added: “Three further applications have been submitted by Stratton Medical Centre bidding for the same money we had already secured in principle in March 2015.

“We as a practice are understandably disappointed as our bid was to ensure not only our patients at Stratton Medical Centre but people living in the surrounding areas could access our service providing more extensive services in the practice and bringing consultants from district hospitals closer to patients homes rather than patients travelling a minimum of a two-hour round trip to a hospital.

“Stratton Medical Centre care for 11,000 patients covering 100 square miles from Welcombe in the North to Wainhouse Corner in the South, Bude in the West to Bridgerule in the East. We are concerned with the developments planned within the practice boundary how we are going to accommodate additional patients working in a building that according to the national formula is half the recommended size.

“Currently a typical month of patient contacts from telephone, face to face, phlebotomy and visits is with 7,250 patients, which is approximately 87,000 patients a year.

“The partners and staff at Stratton Medical Centre wanted the community to know that we have been working hard to provide our patients with a new surgery, with easier access and better parking, bringing more healthcare services closer for the community.

“Even though we have not been successful with our application we will continue to work hard to resolve this situation and would value the support of our patients and the community to continue to work with us to find a suitable resolution.”