patients of the Okement GP practice last week demanded Devon Primary Care Trust takes immediate steps towards a clearer future for the service. The call came from patients attending a meeting last Thursday at the Ockment Centre ? an event plagued with controversy. Many people only found out about the meeting on the day it was held, through last week?s Times and through word of mouth. The PCT maintained a letter was sent to every patient with details of the meeting. But, because of circumstances unknown to the PCT, the letters went astray and never reached patients. Before discussion started, it was proposed by someone in the audience that the meeting be ?shut down? immediately as many people who would have attended were unable to do so because they received no notice of it. People claimed that the fact the letter did not reach them was a ?conspiracy?. And they maintained that the PCT had already made a decision on the practice?s future and the meeting was a ?charade?. Kevin Hale, assistant director of the PCT, assured the meeting there was no conspiracy behind the failure to notify people of the event. He apologised for the PCT?s lack of communication and insisted it was important the meeting take place. The PCT had already decided the practice would be ?put out to tender?. This meant the PCT would no longer run the practice directly, instead it would go through a consultation process and ask people to express an interest in managing the practice. It would then assess potential bidders for the practice. Mr Hale said: ?Okehampton is growing and the PCT has a growing pressure on its infrastructure. Small GP practices are not well run by large, bureaucratic PCTs.? Mr Hale uses the Okement GP practice himself and said he does so because of the quality of service it provides. He said: ?There is nothing wrong with any of the other practices in the area, but you choose the practice to suit you. ?It is so important to me that this practice works. For it to grow and thrive it has to be an attractive practice. ?We need a practice that is not just for now. We need a practice for the future and we want to make sure we get it right. This is about how the practice population can have the best possible service.? The patients of the Okement practice claimed they were more than happy with the ?exceptionally good? treatment they received from their doctors, saying that they trust them and they want to continue to be looked after by them. Dr Susan Taheri, a GP at the surgery, indicated she would be putting in a tender for the practice. This was greeted with support from the audience. One patient said: ?We want what we?ve got already, now get on with it.? Speaking after the meeting, Mr Hale said: ?We are very grateful to everyone who came to the meeting. They made several things absolutely plain ? that they really value the GP service at Okement, are full of praise for Dr Taheri, that they now want stability for the future and they want us to get on with putting the service out to tender. That?s what we?ll do. ?I hope we managed to convey during the meeting that our highest priority is to make sure Okehampton gets first class GP services. I apologise to everyone for lack of notice for the meeting and we promise to give plenty of notice before the next one.? Dr Taheri said: ?As a practice we were overwhelmed by the level of support and the strength of feeling at the meeting.? The next meeting with the PCT is on Friday January 11 at 7.30pm in the Charter Hall. All are welcome to attend. l The issue relates only to the Okement GP practice and does not affect the Okehampton Medical Centre.