The NHS is in Crisis

• We’re seeing 20% more patients than before the pandemic
• We’re seeing more than 1 million patients per day
• Hospital waiting lists are increasing, meaning patients come back to us

Our costs are rising, just as yours are – electricity, estates, supplies, paying our staff – yet we receive no additional funding or grants. We are all struggling to stay afloat. If this continues, your local practice may disappear. 

At Stour Surgery we are feeling the pressure and are working as hard as we can to provide the right care for our patients. 

Due to lack of funding, we are unable to recruit more staff to meet the increasing demand and this has meant we are needing to make changes to our practice appointment system. 

From 8th July if your GP is on annual leave, and your concern is routine, you will be booked into a routine appointment for when they return. This both ensures continuity of care for you, and manageable workloads for our clinicians. Emergency appointments will continue to be dealt with on the day by another GP.

This is only a small change in the way we are currently working. We will continue to strive to provide excellent accessibility. 

Other NHS services can help ease the pressure, so you maybe be signposted out of the surgery to their local pharmacy or other service. Please do take advantage of these options. 

Please help us free up clinical time by trying to self-manage any minor illnesses, visiting the pharmacy first and by attending health checks when invited to which aim to help keep you well at home. 

We are worried and distressed about the current situation too and wish we could do more.

If you feel strongly about the issue of general practice funding, you may wish to contact your local member of parliament to express your views. 

In the meantime, we will continue to do our best to support our patients and we appreciate your support and consideration during these difficult times. 

The Partners 

Stour Surgery

Published: Jul 4, 2024