I would just like to make some comments on the ‘clear answers to questions raised  at the public meeting to assuage any fears patients may have over capacity at other practices’ that NHS England assistant contract manager Rachael Crawley gave when she spoke to the Times.

Rachael states ‘With very small practices like Okement finding it hard to cope’ – I would like to make it clear that Okement Surgery was not finding it hard to cope, quite the contrary, our patient numbers were increasing steadily and we have a very good reputation in the town.

‘The extra time enabled us to look at capacity locally’ — Why didn’t they use that time to consult with the patients of Okement Surgery and the people of Okehampton in the proper way, as they should have done?

I have a letter from Devon Primary Care Trust dated December 21 2007 stating ‘I’m writing to update you on our progress in securing the long-term future of Okement Primary Care Centre’. We were told at the time (2007, when it was put out to tender) that the contract was to be a renewable contract and that at some time in the future it would be re-written as a permanent contract and at that time it would be put out to tender again. It was never meant to be a time-limited contract in the way that NHS England infers.

At the Devon County Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on January 20 2016 Rachael Crawley said the following:

1. ‘Okehampton Medical Centre now has just under 13,000 patients but has space for 16,000 patients.

2. There is capacity at Okehampton Medical Centre, there isn’t an issue about not having capacity, there is sufficient space at Okehampton Medical Centre to register all of the patients at Okement if they wish to register there.

3. That NHS England took into account the development plans for Okehampton for the next 15 years or more.

However, we have an imminent increase of 900 houses and this is just in the next few years, never mind the next 15 years or more that NHS England ‘have taken into account’.

In November 2015 Okement Surgery had 1,762 patients, the majority of whom will have no choice but to register with Okehampton Medical Centre. The 900 houses, if they average three inhabitants for each household, will make an extra 2,700 patients.

These figures just do not add up, how on earth can Rachael Crawley say that Okehampton Medical Centre has capacity for the next 15 years or more, what planet is she living on!

Lynn Lane

Okehampton

Okehampton Medical Centre invited 1,700 patients from the Okement Surgery to an open day. I quote, ‘there is plenty of parking, enough for 60 cars’. Enough said.

Jane Shaddick

Hatherleigh

Okement Surgery patient