PATIENTS at Okehampton?s Okement Primary Care Centre are demanding a permanent GP at the doctor?s surgery there. The centre, based on the Okehampton Hospital site, has run with only temporary medics since the end of 2006 when Drs Gillespie and Taheri left the practice. Dr Taheri has now temporarily returned to the centre, having completed a course in tropical medicine, but will only be practising there until September, after which the future appears uncertain for the surgery?s patients. Devon Primary Care Trust has received several letters from those patients, explaining their distress at having repeatedly to be seen by temporary locums. One of those was sent by Mrs Ann Smith, of Sourton, who said: ?When we moved to the area some three years ago we were told that the Okehampton Medical Centre was not taking any new patients, but that a new practice was opening in the newly-built community hospital. ?It was with some trepidation that we registered. However, our uncertainty was short-lived. As anyone lucky enough to consult with Drs Gillespie and Taheri will confirm, we couldn?t have asked for a better service. ?Although I kept visits to a minimum it was comforting to know that they were there when needed. Not any more.? Mrs Smith added that Devon PCT promised patients nine months ago that the vacancies created by the departure of Drs Taheri and Gillespie would be filled. ?In a profession where trust is of paramount importance, the current state of affairs is totally unacceptable,? she said. Kevin Hale, assistant director for primary care contracts, responded by stating: ?We know that the present situation isn?t very satisfactory. ?Although we have had absolutely no complaints about the quality of the service the locum doctors have been providing, we understand that people want continuity and to have their own permanent GP. ?We are about to write to all the patients on the list at the Okement practice, to ask for their views on who should run the practice and what sort of service they would like to see. This won?t be fixed overnight but we are conscious that the situation needs addressing and we are taking steps to bring about a longer-term solution. We want to get it right for the people using the practice.?
