Liverpool CCG has recently announced that Primary Care Connect, a “not-for-profit” organisation that runs several GP Surgeries across Liverpool, will be ending its contracts with six GPs by the end of June 2019.

Here in the Garston and Halewood Constituency this will affect GP Surgeries in the Netherley Health Centre, the GP Surgery in West Speke and one of the GPs in Garston Walk-in Centre. The contracts on these surgeries could be picked up by another company but there is a very real risk that one or more of them could be shut altogether, forcing patients to register with another surgery.

Our NHS has been badly let down by a Conservative Government who are not funding or staffing our health services properly. They have made sweeping changes to the NHS to increase competition in the health service which means profit and budgets are often put before patient’s needs. I will not let patients be ignored in this way, patients must be put first.

Liverpool CCG will be conducting a consultation for the next month asking patients affected by these changes what they would like to happen. I will be working hard with local councillors Helen Thompson, Ruth Bennett, Pauline Walton, Leon Tootle, Mary Rasmussen and Doreen Knight to encourage local people to have their say and fight against these potential closures. We will soon be launching a petition and I will be conducting my own survey asking local residents what they think of their NHS services.

The well being of patients should be the top priority for the NHS. Local, easily available services are key to this. That is why I will be standing up for my constituents and trying to keep these surgeries open.  If you are concerned about this situation please contact my office on 0151 448 1167 or email me at Maria.Eagle.MP@Parliament.uk.