Central Devon MP Mel Stride has written to the NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group urging them to retain GP provision in Pathfinder Village, within the parish of Tedburn St Mary. Pathfinder Surgery is run by the St Thomas Medical Group, based in Cowick Street in Exeter, and was temporarily closed early in the pandemic on the grounds it could not be made Covid-secure. But in the autumn St Thomas wrote to local residents to say they were considering a permanent closure.
Teign Valley Ward Teignbridge Councillors Terry Tume and Stephen Purser immediately launched a joint petition with Mr Stride calling for St Thomas Medical Group to retain the surgery and re-open it as soon as possible. More than 160 residents signed the petition which was handed to St Thomas in January. It is the second time Mr Stride has intervened to keep try and keep the surgery open, having done so successfully a decade ago when it was also earmarked for closure.
On Friday 11th March Mr Stride, Cllr Tume and Cllr Purser held a meeting with the Practice Manager and one of the GPs at St Thomas Medical Group, emphasising their opposition to a permanent closure and urging them to find a solution that provides some level of continuing service at Pathfinder Village, even if that means reducing its operational hours. Mr Stride has since written to the NHS Devon CCG, which is due to take a decision on the closure in April requesting that they enter into discussions with him prior to taking any final decisions.
Mr Stride said:
“Pathfinder Village has an older population and residents really value their GP surgery. I appreciate the challenges of running an outreach surgery but a solution needs to be found that sees provision continue so residents can keep this vital service local.”
Cllr Tume added:
“Retaining the on-site surgery in Pathfinder Village is really important, particularly for residents who don’t drive or struggle to use public transport.”
Photo: Mel, Cllr Tume and Cllr Purser handing in their petition, calling for Pathfinder GP Surgery to be retained, to St Thomas Medical group in January.
