Patients Proving Resistant to Health Centre Relocation
GPs moving to existing surgeries in Chiswick rather than switching to Stamford Brook
Visualisation of the new Chiswick Health Centre
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April 2, 2023
With the relocation of the three GP Practices based at the Chiswick Health Centre poised to begin later this month, there are increasing reports of patients declining to switch to the new location and doctors moving to other surgeries in the area.
Although, exact numbers are not available, one person working in health services in the area has told us that a significant number of people have registered with different GPs rather than go to Stamford Brook and at least two doctors who were working at the health centre have moved to another practice in the Chiswick area.
Three practices currently based at the Health Centre on Fishers Lane, Chiswick Health Practice, West4GPs and Chiswick Family Doctor’s Practice, will be moving to 14-16 Stamford Brook Avenue on Monday 17 April. Prior to the announcement of the move around 20,000 people were registered at the three practices.
There has been dismay among patients about the new location as they say that it is more difficult to get to by public transport with fewer buses travelling near the site and a longer walk required from the bus stops. It is also being claimed that parking is more difficult around the site. Some patients are unhappy that the temporary centre is some distance from shops and cafes meaning that a visit has to be made specially and can’t be combined with other purposes.
The new premises are a 15-minute walk from the existing building and is around 3 minutes away from Stamford Brook underground station with bus stops for the 94, 237 and 272 a similar distance away.
GPs are paid according to the number of patients registered with them and it is understood that, at some practices, an option has been given to switch to a doctor who is moving to a surgery in the W4 postcode area rather than to Stamford Brook.
The temporary medical centre at Stamford Brook
We spoke to one local GP who is not directly affected by the move who said, “Doctors have to be mindful of their patients wishes and, although the new Stamford Brook Centre is not as difficult to get to as some suggest, it is off the beaten track for many.
“There were similar problems when Chiswick Family Practice moved from near Southfield Road to Bollo Bridge Road but, as far as I am aware, most registered patients, stayed with their original GP.
“I would presume that a certain proportion of refuseniks would have been factored into the strategy and even if that is greater than expected, the temporary centre wouldn’t be unviable. It is highly likely that doctors and patients will return to the new medical centre on Fishers Lane once it has been built wherever they decide to go to in the meantime.”
Some preliminary work has already begun at the Chiswick site and this Monday (27 March) Hounslow Council and NHS Property Services (NHSPS) announced that they had signed a contract with Willmot Dixon to allow the demolition of the old health centre to begin.
The new building on Fishers Lane will include modern consulting and examination rooms, district nurse facilities, community rooms and staff accommodation as well as 55 new affordable flats for key health workers such as nurses.
The council says that the new Health Centre is set to open in Autumn 2024.
Health centre likely to be demolished shortly
Doctor Venkatesham, of Chiswick Family Doctors, said, “For several years we have felt that the existing building is badly in need of repair and modernisation. We are very much looking forward to providing more and varied services for the community in Chiswick with better facilities housed in comfortable modern premises fit for the future.”
Councillor Tom Bruce, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Development at Hounslow Council, said, “I am delighted that residents in Chiswick will benefit from a new state-of-the-art health facility. We want all residents in Hounslow to enjoy good health and this is a concrete example of us working with the NHS to achieve this goal.”
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