High Bickington community voice concern over Torrington Health Centre's service changes

Residents of High Bickington are expressing frustration and concern over recent changes in services provided by Torrington Health Centre, raising questions about accessibility, communication, and the impact on the local community.

Gillian Stevens, a patient at the centre, has been vocal about the issues facing the community. 

She highlighted a perceived lack of transparency and engagement from the health centre regarding the future of their local surgery. 

Despite assurances from Torrington Health Centre that they are not planning to close the surgery, Mrs Stevens and others feel sceptical, pointing to discrepancies between promises made in an "engagement survey" and the actual dissemination of information to patients.

ABOVE: Old Stables Surgery in High Bickington, part of Torrington Health Centre (Image: Google Earth)

Mrs Stevens alleges that the promised survey, which was supposed to be sent to all patients via text, was only distributed in limited quantities to the surgery itself, leaving many residents unaware of the opportunity to provide feedback. 

Furthermore, the reduction in service hours at the High Bickington branch surgery has sparked outrage among residents. 

Mrs Stevens has said that despite the population doubling since the surgery was established in the 1980s, service hours have been drastically cut, leaving patients with limited appointment options. 

She claimed that families, in particular, would feel the strain, especially with working parents struggling to accommodate appointments within the reduced schedule.

Another point highlighted was accessibility.

This emerged as a significant issue from locals, especially for those without access to transportation. 

With no direct bus route to Torrington from High Bickington, residents are left dependent on costly alternatives or relying on the goodwill of friends and family for transportation to appointments. 

In response to these concerns, Torrington Health Centre defended its actions, citing efforts to engage with the community through various channels, including online surveys and direct outreach to patients.

They have said that the service reductions were necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic and staffing challenges, and that efforts to recruit medical staff willing to work in rural areas have been unsuccessful.

Torrington Health Centre insisted that they have actively sought feedback from patients through a variety of channels, including online surveys, direct outreach, and engagement with local organisations.

Addressing allegations of miscommunication, the health centre stated that they made efforts to distribute information about the survey through multiple channels, including text messages, emails, letters, online platforms, and social media. 

They also reached out directly to patients such as the patient participation group, the Parish Council, and the local MP.

In terms of service reductions, they explained that the changes were not recent and were implemented due to the pandemic, with efforts made to restart services at the branch surgery as soon as it was safe to do so. 

They acknowledged the challenges faced by rural communities in accessing healthcare services but highlighted alternative options such as telephone and video consultations, online consultations, and extended opening hours.