New hopes for surgery
HOPES for a new surgery in Worlingham have been raised after a health chief appeared to agree to discuss the possibility. James Elliott, director of commissioning of the Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT, attended the parish council's meeting last week and has left locals feeling upbeat.
HOPES for a new surgery in Worlingham have been raised after a health chief appeared to agree to discuss the possibility.
James Elliott, director of commissioning of the Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT, attended the parish council's meeting last week and has left locals feeling upbeat.
The council's notes of the meeting say Mr Elliott agreed “to look into the feasibility” of a surgery in Worlingham, and that he agreed to consider shorter term options to improve transport to the existing Beccles Medical Centre in St Mary's Road.
Mr Elliott did not confirm this to the Journal but he did add: “We are currently reviewing our strategic plans for services across all our communities in Great Yarmouth and Waveney. There are no plans at present for a new surgery in Worlingham, however we are aware of the difficulties in terms of car parking and transport to the existing Beccles surgery site, and are looking at ways to address this both short term and longer term, in conjunction with the Beccles practice.”
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The council meeting was held in response to a vast demand for a surgery in Worlingham. In a recent survey held to formulate Worlingham's parish plan, a guide for the future improvement of the village, 1,513 residents out of the 1,884 supported the idea.
While the survey revealed that most people rated the Beccles doctors as “good,” it stated that they were having difficulty accessing their services and that transport to the Beccles Medical Centre was a problem, especially for the older members of the community.
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Michael Culyer, chairman of Worlingham Parish Council, said: “Beccles surgery is too small for the area it serves and it's a nightmare to park at. This is a step forward. Did he promise us anything? No. But I'm positive.”
