GP Surgery Closure: Consultation Called 'Sham'

0:00It's April 10th. This is Lester News today, your AI-powered local news. A GP surgery branch in Evington shut down last December after the owner decided to sell and the building got labeled unfit for use. That left some folks needing two buses to reach the next closest spot. The local health board, L-O-R-I-C-B, jumped in with a public consultation right after to check on patient access. Repainers, led by John McFadian from the Retain Our Services Group, called that consultation a sham. He fired off a complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, arguing the big decisions like no funds for a new site were already lot. And before anyone got to weigh in, breaking the board's own rules. Residents feel squeezed, with McFadian blasting it as straight up undemocratic. He told reporters the process tricked people into thinking their voices mattered when they didn't, and he's too broke for a court fight. The closure hits access hard in the area, though other practices sit within a mile or so.

1:03The Ombudsman first said the board messed up some steps, but it didn't sway the outcome. McFadian pushed back hard, and now they're rethinking their call, digging deeper into the records per their standard process. The health board stands firm, saying the GP practice called the shots under their contract, and the consultation was just a gauge fallout, and fixes not to reverse it. With options nearby, they're watching as the review plays out.