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Patients at GP in Twydall may have to travel across Medway for treatment

People with limited mobility may struggle to reach their GP if proposed surgery closures go ahead.

Patients at DMC Branch Surgery Twydall, Twydall Green, will have to travel to alternative surgeries to get treatment if Medway Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) planned merger goes ahead.

The Twydall surgery, along with the Sunlight Centre Surgery in Richmond Road, Gillingham, will be closed and patients sent to Balmoral Centre, Balmoral Gardens, Gillingham, Pentagon Centre, Military Road Chatham or St Mary’s Island Surgery, Edgeway, Chatham.

Mark Prenter, Cllr Dorte Gilry, Hazel Browne, Cllr Anne-Clare Howard and Cllr Glyn Griffiths outside Twydall clinic (3491413)
Mark Prenter, Cllr Dorte Gilry, Hazel Browne, Cllr Anne-Clare Howard and Cllr Glyn Griffiths outside Twydall clinic (3491413)

Cllr Glyn Griffiths (Lab), who represents Twydall Ward, said: “We have an ageing population in Twydall and many of the elderly people are reliant on the surgery’s services.

“It is next to shops, right next to the bus stop so it’s very accessible to patients.

“I’m worried patients with limited mobility won’t be able to get to the Pentagon or St Mary’s Island.”

For drivers, it is a 12-minute car journey from Twydall DMC to all the alternative medical surgeries.

Cllr (Lab) Dorte Gilry who represents Twydall Ward (3497572)
Cllr (Lab) Dorte Gilry who represents Twydall Ward (3497572)

However, it will take up to 55 minutes on three buses to reach St Mary’s Island Surgery.

Head of Medway CCG, Stuart Jeffery, said: “Just 600 patients use the Twydall site, and the population served is a young one. Less than 5% of the total patient list for the surgery (which Twydall is a branch of) is over the age of 70.

“Both Balmoral Healthy Living Centre and the Pentagon Centre are also well served by local buses.”

DMC Branch Surgery Twydall, Twydall Green (3497600)
DMC Branch Surgery Twydall, Twydall Green (3497600)

A public meeting on the proposal for the Sunlight Centre Surgery is at the Sunlight Centre at 6.30pm tonight (Thursday). A meeting about the DMC Branch Twydall Surgery will be on Wednesday at Holy Trinity Church, Twydall Lane, Twydall at 6.30pm for 7pm start.

You can also email your views by Monday to mccg.primarycare@nhs.net.

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