• WE write as a Labour councillor and council candidates, two of whom are patients of the popular Miller GP practice, which has served Highbury for many years.

Like other patients, we value the excellent care it provides, so we were worried when we learned that NHS England and the local Clinical Commis­­sioning Group do not value it nearly so much.

Recently, the practice closed its lists to new patients to safeguard the service to existing patients. When it reopened, it got 300 people registering within two weeks.

So it has applied to restrict the area from which new patients can register, taking care to exclude only areas already served by other practices that can take on new patients, and also to keep existing patients and their family members.

It has made it clear to NHS England and the CCG that this is to maintain the quality and safety of care provided to all patients. It has been told this application is not supported and instead it is expected to reduce access to appointments and walk-in clinics and make the surgery “less attractive” to new patients.

We are appalled by this. The practice has a terrific reputation and represents so much of what is good about our NHS. Now, it is being starved of resources and told to care less about its patients.

We ask readers to contact the CCG at islington.ccg@nhs.net now to tell it to stop this cutting and rationing and serve our communities as it should. We pledge, if elected, to work with fellow Labour councillors to ensure the borough actively defends the NHS from these attacks.

SUE LUKES
CLLR OSH GANTLY
CHRIS RUSSELL