Buckingham MP Greg Smith joins calls to keep Long Crendon Surgery open

The New Chapel Surgery in Long Crendon looks set to close after Unity Health took the decision to temporarily shut at the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak in March.

Unity says this situation indicated surgery is no longer suitable for a modern GP practice and believes the best course of action is to close the Long Crendon surgery, transferring clinicians and staff to Unity Health in Brill.

Greg Smith MP has backed calls to keep the New Chapel Surgery in Long Crendon open and shares his constituents’ concerns that the closure of the surgery put further strain on neighbouring medical facilities.

Patients currently registered at Long Crendon would also transfer to Brill to maintain continuity with their clinical team.

They hope to apply to NHS Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (Bucks CCG) to close the Long Crendon surgery later this year.

Greg has written Bucks CCG with his strong objections to the closure of the surgery and has contacted Unity Health to request an urgent meeting to discuss alternatives including the possibility of building a new GP surgery on land that has been identified in Long Crendon.

Commenting, Greg said, “Residents are telling me that they really value the care they receive at Long Crendon and the surgery provides a vital service to vulnerable constituents.

"There is public transport to Brill but this doesn’t go near the GP surgery which would make it very difficult for some Long Crendon patients to access the Brill surgery. I am supporting the campaign to keep Long Crendon surgery open because I know that the closure would just add to the pressure on other surgeries.

'"I will do all I can to ensure my constituents can access the most effective healthcare possible. I would urge the CCG and Unity Health to focus on patients and commit to maintaining this surgery as soon as possible. I am having a meeting with Unity Health in the coming weeks and I am hoping for better answers at that meeting.”