Health board still committed to setting up second Melton GP surgery
The local health board say they are still committed to setting up a second GP surgery for Melton Mowbray after plans to use Phoenix House were shelved.
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB) announced last week it had decided to pause the process due to a shortfall in funding to convert the Nottingham Road building and a slow increase in new patient registrations at the town’s Latham House Medical Practice.
The ICB confirmed it is putting the quest for a second doctors’ practice on hold until 2027 although it has pledged to revisit the plans before then if new funds become available and a suitable alternative venue is identified.
It also revealed plans to extend services provided by Latham House to provide more options for patients at a time when thousands of new homes are being built locally.
Pete Burnett, chief strategy officer for the local ICB, told the Melton Times: “We are committed to continuing to work with Melton Borough Council to explore options for a second primary care site for Melton residents, when guaranteed funding and suitable, affordable premises are identified.
"We are working with the current GP practice in Melton to extend the support it can provide to local residents, which includes a new digital suite at the main site and an approved redevelopment of a property owned by the practice on Sherrard Street to extend clinical services.”
New GP surgeries need to be funded by a combination of private and public investment, contributions from GP practices and Section 106 infrastructure payments collected by local councils from developers building in the area.
There have been several recent instances with Melton borough planning applications where developers have said they cannot afford to make Section 106 payments due to rising costs, resulting in local infrastructure – such as roads, schools and health services – missing out on vital funding.
Commenting on the decision to pause plans to use Phoenix House as a second GP surgery, Melton Borough Council leader, Pip Allnatt, said: “The council has worked tirelessly to support the ICB to deliver the much-needed expansion of GP services in Melton, and I am hugely disappointed that despite our collective best efforts they have decided to pause further progress at this time.
"I am particularly frustrated that they have cited a shortfall in s106 payments from new developments as one of the reasons.
"Before I was even elected to Melton Borough Council, arrangements agreed between my predecessors and the county council meant that there is almost no s106 money for health because nearly all of it goes to the county council for new roads and schools.
"So whilst I fully recognise the financial challenge we must not give up on securing what our community needs, and if not our buildings, then we must keep working to find another site.”
Leicestershire County Council hit back at the accusations made by Councillor Allnatt regarding Section 106 funds.
County council leader, Dan Harrison, described the claims that developer money was being directed into highways and education as ‘outrageous’ and ‘absurd’.
He commented: “This sits fairly and squarely with the borough, not us. Their current adopted plan prioritises education and transport contributions over other requests, including health. This was their decision alone.”