Task group set up in Allerdale to look at issue of access to GPs and Dentists

A group of Allerdale Borough Councillors have formed a Task Group as part of the authority’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee to look at the issue of Access to GPs and Dentists.

Although these issues are not unique to Allerdale, this review was sparked by the closure of a Dentist surgery to NHS patients in Workington and the reorganisation of GP practices in the town to a single provider.

Research carried out in June for the review found that there was not a single dentist surgery in Cumbria taking new NHS patients for routine work, though local appointments could be found for an emergency.

Councillors are also concerned about how GP services are recovering from the early stages of the pandemic and the impact on residents of changes to GP services.

The committee is keen to hear from residents and anyone with information that would be helpful to the Councillors investigation. Evidence should be about the general situation in terms of accessing GP and Dentist services and should not be about individual cases.

This evidence will be used to help inform councillors before they meet with NHS commissioners in the early Autumn.

The deadline for submissions is therefore Tuesday 20th September 2022.

Submissions should be made in writing to Scrutiny@Allerdale.gov.uk or by post to: Scrutiny Task Group, Allerdale Borough Council, Allerdale House, Workington, Cumbria, CA14 3YJ

Cllr Carni McCarron-Holmes, Chair of the Councillors Task Group said: “We know this is a pressing issue for many residents and we want to hear what the situation is like where you live. Has your GP surgery recovered since the start of the Pandemic? If you are not registered with a Dentist, have you tried and been successful? If you are an insider, working for the NHS, how can the situation in Cumbria be improved?”.