Edington Surgery – statement re proposed Woolavington Development

Background: The Doctors surgery has rented the council flat behind the Co-op in Woolavington for many years. Unfortunately we cannot stay there much longer, primarily due to lack of access for those not physically able. The Primary Care Trust has had complaints about access to the surgery but Sedgemoor District Council are not able to fund access ramps and remodelling the entrance - and this would not provide a good solution as the rest of the flat does not meet the standards required for a modern day surgery. GPs will be required to register with the Care Quality Commission later this year who will expect premises to meet proper standards – the PCT did a CQC style audit and although the practice does as well as possible given the building, the building itself would not pass and it is likely that they would close this surgery leaving no surgery available in Woolavington.

This, and the changes in the NHS which mean that the PCT will not be running our contract from next March has provided a huge time pressure for the practice to find a sustainable solution. The Primary Care Trust would like us to extend our practice area slightly to the north and west (ie towards the M5) to offer a choice of services in the area along with Highbridge Surgery - this negotiation forms part of the funding mechanism. The PCT are keen to support a new surgery building so that they can finish in March knowing that there is a good on-going service in the area.

In conjunction with Sedgemoor District Council Planners we looked at a number of sites in both Woolavington and Puriton – the Puriton sites seemed easier as Woolavington is very tightly built and we will have to develop outside of the village line. However, the GPs want to stay in Woolavington to serve our current patients.

We looked at any available space within the Woolavington village line but the sites were either dismissed by the Highways people as unworkable for access or did not provide enough space. We even rang the brewery who owned the pub to see if we could afford to buy that and redevelop it (we couldn’t!). This left us with no option but to look outside the village line.

Barton Wilmore:We were initially approached by the Barton Wilmore development who recognised that a GP Surgery might help their application go through and generously offered us a very low land rental but unfortunately could not sell the land to the GPs who would have to pay to build a surgery on land they didn’t own. The location of this development,although at the south side of the village, was still some way out (the allotments etc are in-between) which still would have entailed a walk further than is possible by many of the elderly patients living in the bungalows. This location did not support the proposed extension of the practice area and we felt that traffic from Puriton and beyond would probably use the road between Puriton and Woolavington bringing a lot of traffic through the village – which did not comply with the Parish Council’s aim of safer roads.

BAe Systems: We then approached BAe Systems to ask whether we could use some of the land near Crockers Hill. Following discussions with them and the District Council, it became clear that there would need to be a significant amount of Highways work which we could not afford on our own but if BAe could also use some of the land as a housing development then they would provide us with the land and share the cost of the Highways work which then made it affordable for us to stay in Woolavington.

Highways and transport:The land owned by BAe is opposite a proposed new development of social housing which will already require some highways work, and on the same road as the school and the village hall which would both benefit from traffic being calmed as it comes into the village. Traffic coming to Woolavington for the doctors surgery would not even enter the village. There is a bus stop very close by giving links with the top of the village and through to Puriton and beyond. The wider BAe scheme will provide better links between the villages with a cycle path, walks etc.

Our dilemma:We recognised that both locations would have their supporters and their opponents and kept our options open as long as possible in case any further information came to light. We apologise if this has led to confusion amongst Woolavington residents but we want to make it clear that the site that gives us the best option is the BAe Systems site on Higher Road. We now need to move on if we are going to succeed in building a surgery in Woolavington at all as when the PCT hands over its budgets next April, our building plans will probably be reviewed by a national body who may decide that we are not a high enough priority to fund, which means that we may not be able to provide a surgery at all in Woolavington in the future.

Solutions: We understand that there will be extra difficulties for people,particularly in the bungalows. We cannot stay where we are, so anywhere we move to will require changes. We would like to have a dialogue with the patients in Woolavington to find some solutions to the problems that will arise. These are some solutions that have come up so far:

  1. We have already spoken to Village Wheels (non-profit car service) who are willing to work with the practice and patients to enable visiting the new surgery.
  2. A lady walker has said that she would offer to collect medication from the new surgery and deliver it to people who cannot walk that far.
  3. We would hope to provide a secure place where people could put their prescription requests in.
  4. Patients are increasingly using EMIS Access to order repeat prescriptions online if they have computers, saving a trip to the practice.
  5. We would work with BAe to meet with the local transport companies to review public transport to and through the village.

We also feel that a community that feels as strongly as the residents of Woolavington obviously do and who can work together could come up with a number of solutions that could possibly enhance community life and we would be very happy to work with you on that. We have a Patient Participation Group and an online participation group so that people can keep up to date with us by email. Our surgery website is: or you can email us at can write to or telephone our Practice Manager Sue Drew on 01278 722077.

The Parish Council asked about employment possibilities. Barring some particular skills, we do try to recruit locally and would be happy to do so in the future.

Our main aim is to base a new surgery in Woolavington which will provide fantastic new medical services – services that we have no hope of providing in our current Woolavington surgery, which is itself running out of time. The new surgery would have several consulting rooms and a minor ops room with the aim of bringing services nearer to you, the patients rather than you having to trek to Taunton etc.

We look forward to feedback from you and please help us to retain a surgery in Woolavington.

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