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Health care ‘an afterthought for planners’


GPDrWillMangar believes extra housing and the health needs of occupants have been viewed as an “after-thought” by planners. The Sutton Valence-based GP


sympathises with those forced to wait for an appointment, but says more homes are just one factor in- fluencing theNHS,which is at an- other important time of change. Dr Mangar said: “We are con-


tractors for the Clinical Commis- sioning Group, bound by an agreement to look after our pa- tients, and that iswhatwewant to do. “Housing, the public’s height-


ened awareness of their own health, and the elephant in the room– mental health – are all in- creasing the numbers through our door each day and shaping the


Charities ‘are stepping up’


PENNY Williams, from Yalding, says charities and support groups are being forced to step up to help “victims of an under-funded health serv- ice”. The chief ex-


ecutive of the K e n w a r d Trust, which helps those re-


covering from addiction to drink and drugs, including prescription drugs, says a 16% cut in funding over the last four years has been “a false economy”. She said: “As a country,we now


spend more money dealing with A&E admissionswhenwe should be trying to tackle the addiction that lands people in hospital in the first place. “Meanwhile, we have a lack of


GPs in Kent andNHS staff taking almost 7,000 days off sick last year because of drug or alcohol abuse, much of it due to stress. “With funding as it is, many


life-saving services like ours will be forced to close.We need to stop this fromhappening.”


way forward.” He says he is enthusiastic about


taking on the challenges,which in recent years has seen himneeding to use interpreters for his Eastern European patients. The 44-year-old, who qualified


in 2000, says while his surgery at Sutton Valence is receiving multi- ple patient registration requests eachweek -many fromthe newes- tates off the Sutton Road inMaid- stone - the surgery is coping. However, he recognises the


7,000-patient practice will need to move to bigger premises. He is looking for land in Sutton Valence orWarmlake to meet the


needs of an expected 10-15,000 pa- tients, as one of the area’s emerg- ing super-surgeries, which will dominate primary care provision in the future. He said: “We are moving to a


timewhen patientswill be encour- aged to take more responsibility for their health needs andGPswill share evenmore resources. “Through education about con-


ditions and utilising other health professionals, we are already see- ing the start of better “care naviga- tion”, which will give us more flexibility and time to spend with patientswith increasingly complex health needs.


“The short-term future will also


include a broader range of hospital and specialist services, including X-rays, atGP surgeries.” He said Maidstone, Medway


andWilliam Harvey hospitals are all becoming increasingly difficult to reach by road.The policy is now to returnmore services to local sur- geries. He agreed health care has seen


many changes, adding: “A lot of doctors have retired; sceptical of the fact thathealthplans go around and around, but I am enthusiastic that Iwill be part of the generation that leaves a betterhealthservice as a legacy for our children.”


IN SNODLAND, the medical prac- tice took ninemonths and two ad- vertising campaigns to replace its GP. Partner Dr Becky Prince said col-


Ninemonths to fill role Contact the watchdog


leagues had coped, but the delay in filling the vacancy had been frustrating for patients and prac- tice staff. A GP for 10 years, and married


to a doctor, she said: “I work four half-days a week, but often my morning surgery runs on until 2.30pm. “We come into the profession


with our eyeswide open.Of course it would be fantastic to havemore GPs and it is awful people have to wait, but everyone who needs to see us gets to see a doctor.” She added: “I don’t think it is all


doomand gloom.We are learning the doctor does not always need


HEALTHWATCHKent shares the information it receives with the CCG to ensure the patient’s voice is heard. The watchdog’s Steve Inett


said: “We hear from people about GPs almost every day and often the stories are not positive. “We hear about the chal-


to be the first port of call and new relationships are developingwhere problems can be dealt with better and more quickly by others, leav- ing doctors free to see those that need them. “We all need to work together


because we are all living longer withmore complex needs.”


Tell us your views


Howlong do you have towait for a doctor’s appointment?Are you happywith the service provided by your GP practice? Email your letters to us at info@downsmail.co.uk, orwrite to the


Editor at Downs Mail, 2 Forge House, Bearsted Green Business Park,Maidstone, KentME14 4DT.


lenges to make an appoint- ment and frustrations about howlong they have towait.” He added: “We knowthis is


not always the case and we knowtheCCGis aware of the issues and looking at ways to make it easier forpeople to get treatment nearer home. How- ever, in themeantime, people are continuing to find it diffi- cult to see aGP inWestKent.” To contact Healthwatch


Kent, call freephone 0808 801 0102 from10am-4pm,Monday to Friday, email info@health- watchkent.co.uk or write to Healthwatch Kent, Church Road, Seabrooke House, FreepostRTLG-UBZB-JUZA, Ashford TN23 1RD.


Maidstone November 2019 29


GP crisis |News


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