Clinic campaign continued!

We recently received through the letter box a leaflet from Malling Health “Introducing four new doctors’ surgeries opening in our area” Little note at the bottom telling us these practises are all in the Sandwell Primary Care Trust area.
The back page tells us these practises are in Great Bridge, Langley Rood End, High Bullen in Wednesbury and Parsonage St. Health centre in West Brom. Hardly local by any stretch of the imagination. I suppose if you work or go to school near one of these sites it’s OK but certainly not for most folk who live in Newton Ward.
I wrote and complained to the PCT about this and the other issues surrounding health care in Great Barr & Newton. I was recently advised that the Chair and Chief Exec of PCT will be attending the next meeting of our local community forum and that this was the best place (their view not mine) to talk about the issues I raised. I would of course disagree with that and I have written and told them. This will change nothing unless they have some practical suggestions about a site in Newton and a recovery plan.
In a recent letter to our MP the Chief Exec of the PCT does imply that detailed consideration is being given to our first choice site of Tanhouse Community Centre and they appear to be working with local authority colleagues and that as this work develops it will be necessary to consult with a range of stakeholders. I wonder what this really means? More to come I'm sure.