The Bingfield Primary Care Centre, off Caledonian Road

• OUR Labour coun­cillors’ schizophrenic approach to supporting community services is aptly demonstrated in last week’s paper.

On the letters page Councillor Paul Convery and colleagues lament the decision by NHS England not to replace the medical centre at Roman Way, (Roman Way Medical Centre: We will fight on for surgery, August 10). As had been pointed out previously, the councillors only got involved in April, which was far too late in the process.

In a separate article, Cllr Convery comments on the Care Quality Commission’s threat to close the GP surgery at the Bingfield Primary Care Centre, near Caledonian Road, (GP surgery faces closure threat after being rated ‘inadequate’, August 10).

Cllr Convery suggests that the GP of 20 years, Dr Haffiz, should “carefully consider his future”. So, just when you’d expect your local councillor to be giving you every assistance to maintain the local practice, he suggests closing it down.

If Cllr Convery checked the CQC report he would have noted that the practice is rated “good for care”, which is surely the most important indicator.

As we are now losing the Roman Way practice, which looked after more than 4,000 patients and potentially the Bingfield GP practice serving over 3,000, you’d think Cllr Convery would be looking at what practical help he and the council could offer, rather than just wringing his hands.

IAN FEARNLEY
N1