A 2,018-name petition calling for two GP surgeries to be saved has been presented on the floor of the House of Commons.
The Central Lakes Medical Group, which runs Ambleside Health Centre and Hawskhead Medical Practice, faces an uncertain future after doctors handed in their notices amid cuts in funding for rural practices.
It comes as NHS staff face a difficult winter following an extremely busy summer.
Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, said in Parliament: “I rise to present a petition on behalf of 2,018 constituents in Westmorland and Lonsdale who are outraged, as am I, at the potential closure of the Central Lakes Medical Group practices in Ambleside and in Hawkshead.
“The petition states: To the House of Commons, the petition of residents of the constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale declares that the central Lakes medical practice should be saved and protected for the long term; further declares that both Ambleside and Hawkshead surgeries should not close, should not be run by a private, for-profit company and should instead be run by local doctors; furthermore, asks that the new practices should guarantee continuity of care so that patients are able to see the same doctor for the majority of their visits and further that, calls for fair funding of the new practice, as medical care in rural communities is more expensive to provide.
“The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the integrated care board to adhere to these terms when procuring a contract for the surgeries.”
In August, it was announced that the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board would begin its search for a new GP provider for Central Lakes Medical Group.
Dr Lindsey Dickinson, associate medical director at the integrated care board, spoke about the pressures being faced by the NHS.
She said: “Typically the demands on the NHS ease significantly in the warmer months, but that never really happened this summer.
“Some of the pressure is still being felt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as patients seek help for things that they have been putting off and long COVID also being prevalent across the region.
“Of course, COVID-19 is still present, too, so we have continued to provide care in line with national guidance, which can take more time, while also supporting the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine to local residents.”
